Do you ever get tired of the same vegetables in the field? Do you ever wish you had a fancy sauce to use over your roasted asparagus, baked potato wedges, green beans, or steamed broccoli? Allow me to introduce lemon basil vegetable spread. You see, it’s been raining all week where I live. We have had days of floods. All I can think about and dream about is spring! So, I wanted to taste the fresh lemon-basil sauce!
I was roasting a pan of asparagus for dinner and didn’t know what to flavor it with, other than the usual balsamic vinegar. Do you ever feed that way? It’s just another weeknight dinner, but you want something special (outside of business hours)! I pulled out my portable Vitamix and tossed in a few ingredients, hoping for a lemon basil sauce to layer over the asparagus stalks.
This test didn’t turn out to be the sauce I thought it would be. The texture is thin, but the taste is noticeable! I started with a generous portion of dried basil and lemon juice. I wanted those to be the most popular things. Next I added salt, olive oil, and grape seed oil. At this point I turned on the blender and waited to see what would happen. It was a mess when I added more oil, sesame seeds, and cashews. (Why not add protein and nutty flavor?) I also dipped in mustard, which is my go-to, no-nonsense secret ingredient.
I let my Vitamix do the work of smashing and whipping this sauce, until it was mixed enough but still had a chunk. You can add more oil, a spoonful of Greek yogurt, or a little mayonnaise to reduce the texture, and mix longer for a creamier sauce.
I sprinkled this mixture over my asparagus and took a bite. It was refreshing with lemon juice and had just the right amount of earthy texture between the basil and nuts. I can’t wait to make this again with roasted broccoli or green beans!
Ingredients
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¼ cup of lemon
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¼ cup olive oil
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2 Tbsp grapeseed, avocado, or sesame oil
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1 tsp mustard
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¼ cup dried basil
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1 tsp sesame seeds
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½ tsp salt
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Optional: 2 Tbsp cashews
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Optional: 1-2 Tbsp Greek yogurt or mayo
Instructions
- In your Vitamix cup, add the ingredients in the order listed (liquids first).
- Turn on your blender and run for 30 seconds on medium power, until all the ingredients are combined and mixed. It’s okay if it’s a little chunky!
- Optional: If adding cashews or Greek yogurt/mayo, use extra time to reduce the sauce and break up the cashews.
- Serve with vegetables of your choice. It tastes better than asparagus, carrots, broccoli, or green beans.