Quick Summary: Romesco is a Spanish sauce made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, toasted almonds, garlic, and sherry vinegar. The almonds give it a creamy texture without dairy or thickeners. Use it on fish, eggs, roasted vegetables, or grilled meats. Slow carb compliant with no added sugar. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 5 min | Makes: 12 servings
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Romesco? | How to Use It | How to Make | FAQ
When I was a slow carb diet coach, I was constantly looking for compliant sauces to add flavor to all the proteins that were a mainstay of this diet. Since I grow the tomatoes and chile peppers at my farm, this Italian Romesco sauce was a perfect solution.
The base is roasted red peppers and tomatoes, thickened with toasted almonds and sharpened with garlic, smoked paprika, and sherry vinegar. No dairy, no flour, no sugar; just vegetables, nuts, and olive oil. If you’re following a slow carb diet, romesco adds serious flavor without breaking compliance.
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What is Romesco Sauce?
Romesco is basically a rich, pungent and smoky sauce with a base of red peppers and tomatoes and thickened with toasted almonds, garlic, vinegar and herbs. The almonds give the sauce a creamy texture without having to use flour or a thickener.
How to Use Romesco Sauce
The fishermen in Northeastern Spain came up with this sauce to enhance their catch, but its uses have long since expanded into accompaniments for grilled meats and many vegetable dishes.
The sauce is also just as good on a piece of toast that’s been brushed with olive oil and maybe rubbed with more garlic. Or try it with a filet of salmon or stirred into butternut squash as shown below:
During the springtime in Catalonia, a traditional barbecue would probably find a Romesco sauce being put to good use as a dip for charred spring onions (called “calcots” in Spain).
One of my go-to uses for romesco when I am being really strict on a slow carb lifestyle is to have as a side to scrambled eggs (see below):
How to Make Romesco Sauce
The full instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below. In short:
- Toast almonds until fragrant, then grind in a food processor.
- To the processor, add roasted red peppers, tomato puree, garlic, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pulse until combined, then drizzle in olive oil with the motor running until smooth.
I grow heirloom tomatoes and chile peppers on our small farm (Heathglen Farm) and make products to sell at our twin cities farmers’ markets. Romesco is one of the sauces that always sells out.
We smoke the heirloom tomatoes, toast the almonds, add sherry vinegar and fresh herbs and then water-bath the whole thing to give it a long shelf life. The almonds are what makes this romesco sauce so creamy, not dairy or sugar.
Slow Carb Romesco is a great addition to a slow carb lifestyle, adding a lot of flavor to your proteins and vegetables without the guilt.
**Tip: Wherever you are, if you have the time, let the sauce stand for an hour at room temperature before serving. Like a good red wine, it is better at room temperature.
FAQ
Yes. Romesco is made from vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and vinegar with no added sugar or starches. It’s compliant with slow carb, low carb, and keto diets.
Covered and refrigerated, romesco keeps for up to one week. Bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
Red wine vinegar works as a substitute, though sherry vinegar has a more complex, slightly sweet flavor that’s traditional.
Traditionally, romesco was made with a mortar and pestle. This still works but takes longer. Pound the almonds and garlic first, then work in the peppers and tomatoes gradually.
Romesco is Spanish, made with roasted peppers, tomatoes, and almonds. Harissa is North African, made with dried chiles, cumin, coriander, and caraway. Both are chile-based sauces, but the flavor profiles are distinct.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Low Carb Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almonds
- 5 cloves garlic medium
- 24 ounce jarred roasted red peppers
- 16 ounces tomato puree
- 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar can substitute red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoons chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Lightly toast the almonds in a skillet until you start to smell their nutty perfume (doesn't take long).Let them cool a little bit and then pulverize them in a blender or grinder. You want them finely ground, but not so much that it is a paste.3/4 cup almonds
- Add the almonds, garlic, peppers, puree, vinegar, paprika, chipotle powder, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt to your preference.Do Ahead: Romesco can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.5 cloves garlic, 24 ounce jarred roasted red peppers, 16 ounces tomato puree, 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 3/4 teaspoons chipotle powder, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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