This creamy, vegan roasted red pepper sauce is quick, easy, and perfect for drizzling over veggies, pasta, and more! Charred red bell peppers steal the spotlight in this simple, 5-ingredient recipe. Sweet, smoky, and creamy, this oil-free and gluten-free sauce is addicting.
“This has been my go-to pasta sauce recipe. My partner hates tomato sauce pasta and I wanted to try something different. I’m making it right now for the third time. Sooo good and rich! And so easy too.” - our reader, Laura
This sauce is especially delicious with my vegan eggplant meatballs, but it's a versatile sauce that works beautifully on grain bowls, roasted vegetables, and even salads. Building on the base of my lemon tahini sauce, this roasted red pepper tahini sauce keeps the same nut-free, oil-free goodness, while adding smoky, sweet, Mediterranean flavor.
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Ingredient notes
You'll need just 5 simple ingredients to make this sauce.
- Red bell peppers: I prefer roasting fresh bell peppers for the best flavor, and I've included instructions below, but high-quality jarred roasted peppers are a great time-saving option.
- Tahini: Use a high-quality, smooth tahini like Tarazi for the creamiest texture and best flavor.
- Lemon juice & garlic: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and minced fresh garlic provide the brightest flavor—better than jarred alternatives.
- Non-dairy milk: I typically use unsweetened almond milk, but any unsweetened plant-based milk, like oat or soy, will work just as well.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & variations
This roasted red pepper tahini sauce is easy to customize! Here are some simple swaps:
- Non-dairy milk can be swapped for water.
- Add red pepper flakes or a couple roasted chipotle peppers for a spicy version.
- Add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a slightly cheesy, umami kick.
How to make vegan roasted red pepper sauce
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 500°F and roast the red bell peppers. Place whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes, until the skin is charred.
Step 2: Remove the peppers from the oven and cover them with foil or parchment paper to steam for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove the skin, stems, and seeds.
Step 3: Add peeled, roasted peppers along with all other ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with 1-2 tablespoon water or non-dairy milk.
You can use either a high-speed blender or a food processor for this recipe.
FAQs
To thicken, add 1 tablespoon of tahini at a time. To thin it out, add 1 tablespoon of water or non-dairy milk until desired consistency is reached.
Since it's oil-free and tahini-based, the sauce may thicken or slightly separate in the fridge. Just stir it or whisk with a splash of water or non-dairy milk before serving.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
How to use this sauce
This creamy roasted red pepper sauce is so versatile! It's one of my favorite vegan sauce recipes. Here are some of the ways I love to use it.
- Toss with pasta: Use it as a roasted red pepper pasta sauce. It’s the perfect match to my baked eggplant meatballs and spaghetti noodles. In pasta dishes, it also pairs well with herbs like fresh basil or parsley.
- Drizzle over roasted veggies: It makes flavorful topping for roasted cauliflower, eggplant, or chickpeas.
- Pour over grain bowls: Use it to garnish your favorite rice or quinoa bowl. It’s delicious over my chickpea quinoa bowls.
- Use it to dip: Serve with crudités like carrots and cucumbers, for dipping!
- Drizzle on tacos: It makes a delicious smoky, creamy drizzle for these roasted cauliflower and lentil tacos.
- Use as a salad dressing: It makes a great dressing for a hearty kale salad.
- Dirzzle over breakfast dishes: Try it as a sauce for savory breakfasts. It’s so good drizzled over my vegan egg muffins or tofu scramble.
More sauces and dips you’ll love
Recipe
Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Tahini (Oil-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers*
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the whole red bell peppers on the baking sheet and bake for 30-35 mins, until the skin is blistered and charred.2 red bell peppers*
- Once charred, remove the peppers from the oven and immediately cover them with foil or parchment paper. Let them steam for about 10 minutes, which will help loosen the skin for easier peeling.
- Once cooled, peel the skin off of the roasted peppers, and remove the core, seeds, and stem. Place roasted red peppers, tahini, lemon juice, milk, garlic, salt, and smoked paprika (if using) in a high speed blender. Transfer the roasted red peppers to a high-speed blender along with tahini, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, garlic, salt, and smoked paprika (if using). Blend until smooth. You may add ¼-½ cup of water or milk, a few tablespoons at a time, until you reach the desired consistency, if needed.2 red bell peppers*, ¼ cup tahini, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup non-dairy milk, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Serve over cooked roasted veggies, bowls, or pasta and enjoy!
Alex says
Hello Zena!
So I made this sauce today and tried it with pasta. Never had any meal with Tahini before but must say that this was quite tasty. I also realised that I bought dark tahini paste and there is a white version(didn't know there were 2 versions). Would it taste different with the white version and which is your preferred?
Thanks again for posting this lovely and recipe! 🙂
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
I'm so happy you loved it! The white version is preferred, but I think it will taste similar with the dark version (just might look a bit different in color). Thank you for trying!! 🙂
Laura Lee says
This has been my go-to pasta sauce recipe. My partner hates tomato sauce pasta and I wanted to try something different. I’m making it right now for the third time. Sooo good and rich! And so easy too.
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing and trying my recipe 🙂
Lindsay says
I give this 5 stars! I had a pack of three peppers I needed to use and found this recipe. I made this as directed and it turned out perfect! I served it with penne and sautéed mushrooms, red onion, and the remaining pepper in my pack of three. I topped it with some parsley and pine nuts. Delicious! 😋
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
Sounds delicious!! So glad you loved it! 🙂
Angie says
This was delicious and so easy. I served it over rotini pasta with sauteed onions and broccoli. My partner and I loved it! Thank you for such a great and easy recipe.
Zena | Zen and Zaatar says
So happy you loved it, thanks for sharing how you served it!! 🙂