You can make this no-cook Spicy Basil-Cream Sauce in 5 minutes or less! It features fresh basil, thyme, serrano peppers, yogurt, honey and vinegar. It's an ideal summer sauce that can also be used as a salad dressing, veggie dipper, or an all-around condiment.
Spicy Basil-Cream Sauce Recipe
Let's be clear - we're suckers for fresh basil. We actually like to grow our own right at home! But don't worry, store-bought fresh basil also works just as well with this easy recipe.
Fresh basil can transform an average meal into something legendary, and so can this spicy sauce.
This is a practically ANYTHING sauce, meaning you can use it on just about anything. I recently made this for a super quick salmon dinner. I just drizzled it over the salmon fillets and served it with a side of asparagus, and it was pretty incredible! It can also be used as a salad dressing, sandwich condiment, or a dip.
The sauce base is yogurt. Yogurt is perfect for making quick and easy sauces because it is creamy, thick, and highlights the flavors you add to it. Speaking of flavors, you'll be drooling over how flavor-packed this sauce is! It's got notes from the fresh basil, serrano, honey, and so much more.
Ingredients for Basil Cream Sauce
- Greek yogurt
- Fresh basil leaves
- Fresh thyme
- Serrano pepper
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Salt
How to Make Spicy Basil Cream Sauce - the Recipe Method
Blend. Toss all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
BOOM! Done. That's really all there is to it, friends!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Don't overdo the thyme. Fresh thyme is pretty darned potent. You can easily add too much and it might overtake the sauce, so only use a little at the start. You can always add more if desired.
- You can tame the heat. If serrano peppers are too spicy for you, feel free to sub in a milder pepper, like a jalapeño.
- Feel free to swap the vinegar. If you don't have rice wine vinegar on hand, you can use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or even plain white vinegar, though a higher quality vinegar is ideal.
Storage
Want to make basil sauce ahead of time? Sound good! In an airtight container in the fridge, this spicy basil-cream sauce will stay fresh for about 2-3 days. Give it a good stir before serving.
Try Some of My Other Popular Sauce Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS.Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Spicy Basil Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Adjust salt to your personal taste.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
KRISTI L BUNDICK says
I know this has been up for awhile, but have you tried canning your sauces? They look great and I am thinking about trying several of them, but would like to can them for gifts.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kristi, yes, I do canning sometimes. I will run certain sauces through a water bath to keep them longer. For home canning, shoot for a pH level of 3.5 or lower. For this particular sauce, you'd be better of using a pressure canner as the acidity isn't that low.
Jon says
Looks good. I know there is a love hate, but going to try it with cilantro too.
REPLY: I think this would be great with cilantro. Love it. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.