Multipurpose Lemon Basil Avocado Cream Sauce

This creamy, tangy vegan sauce is delicious hot or cold, and can be used to perk up a multitude of dishes. It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive to make. I recommend using a Magic Bullet or blender, because the results are smoother and blend better than if you mix by hand.

This recipe can be made in ten minutes if you set out your equipment and ingredients in one place. If you’ve never used a Magic Bullet before, watch the video demo on this page before starting.

Enjoy!

Step One: Assemble Ingredients

Ingredients (pictured)

· 2 avocados, minus the pit and the skin

· The juice of one large lemon (approximately 3-4 Tbsp.)

· Two cloves of garlic, minced

· Six large, fresh basil leaves (or the equivalent in smaller leaves)

· 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (approximately 5 Tbsp.)

· 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper

Disclaimer:

Please check ingredients against your food allergies.

Step Two: Assemble Equipment

Equipment: (pictured)

· Magic bullet or traditional blender

· Cutting board

· Paring knife, sharp

· Bowls

· Rounded metal spoon

· Measuring spoons

· 1/3 measuring cup

· Juicer (optional)

Disclaimer:

Use caution with sharp utensils and blades.

Step Three: Spices

Measure out the salt and pepper into a small bowl.

Step Four: Lemon

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice using the juicer. Press hard into the juicer to get as much juice as possible. Set the juice aside for later.

Note: Although you can squeeze by hand, it’s quicker to use a juicer, and you’ll get more juice out of the fruit that way. I got this (pictured) hand juicer from the dollar store. It has sharp edges and works just as well as an electric juicer but it cost me a buck.

Step Five: Garlic

Peel and mince the garlic in the Magic Bullet or blender. Leave the garlic in the Bullet.

Note: To mince garlic by hand with your knife and cutting board, see here.

Step Six: Basil

Clip longer stems from the basil leaves and chop the leaves finely. Basil can be chopped by hand with a sharp knife and cutting board, but I recommend you toss it into the Magic Bullet or blender with the garlic and chop it there.

Step Seven: Mix

Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the garlic and basil in the Magic Bullet or blender. Do not blend yet.

Step Eight: Avocados

Cut both avocados in half the long way. Remove and discard the pit. For instructions on removing an avocado pit, see here. There’s no need to be dainty, as the avocado flesh` will be smushed anyway. Using your spoon as a scoop, add the avocado flesh to the ingredients in the Bullet or blender.

Caution: Be careful not to scoop the avocado out of the skin over the Magic Bullet or you risk the stem ending up in the ingredients.

Note: I’d suggest having two additional avocados on hand (not listed in ingredients) in case the avocados have started to turn black on the inside. See here for how to pick, store, and ripen avocados. If you haven’t shopped ahead of time, the best place to find ripe avocados is your local farmer’s market.

Step Nine: Blend

Turn on the bullet or blender and allow the ingredients to blend for about thirty seconds.

Step Ten: Complete

Add the lemon juice to the ingredients in the Magic Bullet or blender. Turn on the Bullet or blender and allow the ingredients to blend for about one minute. If the mixture appears to stick to the top of the cup, remove the cup periodically and shake the cup vigorously by hand. Seriously, shake that thing.

Note: To let the Bullet run hands-free, twist the cup on and let it blend for a minute while you clean up.

Step Eleven: Store

Refrigerate until needed. The Magic Bullet cups come with lids for easy storage, and are machine washable. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Note: When using the sauce for hot dishes, heat on medium-lot in a shallow sauce pan, stirring constantly until hot.

Step Twelve: Present

Serve over pasta, vegetables, or as a dip. A little goes a long way. For a tangier sauce, use more lemon.

I’m big on food plating. I think food should always be pretty. It's more appetizing that way.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are my three favorite presentations for this sauce.

Serve for Breakfast (Figure 3)

Figure 3: Breakfast

Serve sauce cold over chilled steamed asparagus, resting in boats of endive. The perfect tangy accent for scrambled eggs, veggie sausage links, a cucumber cream cheese tea sandwich on pumpernickel, and fresh fruit.

Serve for Lunch (Figure 4)

Figure 4: Lunch

Serve over nachos, as a handy, flavorful alternative to guacamole.

Note: Add sauce after cooking nachos.

Serve for Dinner (Figure 5)

Figure 5: Dinner

Serve heated, folded gently into a bowl of baby bow tie pasta, accompanied by edamame with coarse salt, a scoop of strawberry ice cream, and fresh-squeezed orange juice with pulp.