This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce will transform your meal!  It is dairy free (thanks to creamy cashews) and will instantly add so much flavor to your roasted veggies, pasta, chicken or fish dish.  Quickly whip up in the blender or food processor.  You will want to lick the bowl, it is that good!

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A fork taking a bite of pasta covered in roasted red pepper sauce from a bowl. There is a jar of red pepper sauce in the background.

Meet Heather Englund…

Hi all!  I’m giddy and excited to be here with you all.  My name is Heather Englund, the creative force behind the family friendly, delicious real food recipes at Fit Mama Real Food.  I’m a mom to four little kiddos, wife, podcaster, group fitness instructor and I live in the beautiful PNW. I love creating meal plans and am obsessed with how it helps me so much as a mom.  I also love bringing my kids into the kitchen and teaching them how to cook!

Veggie loaded dip

Just like Taesha, I love loading veggies into my meals, and onto my kiddo’s plates.  And what better way than with a veggie loaded dip?!

When I meal plan for the week, I love to think about a sauce or dip that can take us through the week.  Maybe it’s hummus, or tahini dip.  If I’m being completely honest with you guys, it’s 90% of the time kefir ranch dressing.

That was, until this dip came along!  When I first made this roasted red pepper cashew sauce, I legit licked the bowl.  It is that good!  The next time, I dipped roasted broccoli in it and loved it even more!

I kept this dip/sauce dairy free by using cashews as the base.  Bonus – they add extra protein and healthy fats into the dish.  The little cheesy flavor came from the addition of nutrition yeast – such a magical secret ingredient in dairy free cheesy dishes.

Two red bell peppers on a cutting board with one cut in half with stem, seeds and membrane removed.

How to roast bell peppers

To roast your bell peppers in the oven,

  1. Pre-heat it to 400 degrees F.  Prepare the peppers by cutting them in half, removing the stems, seeds and membranes.
  2. Lay the peppers on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side facing down.  You could also place the peppers directly on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 18-23 minutes, until the skins are blackened and the peppers are sunk and have lost their shape.  Remove from the oven, place the peppers in a bowl, and cover with a plate to steam.
  4. Once cooled enough to the touch, peel the skins off of the peppers.  Now you have roasted red bell peppers!

TIP: If you don’t want to roast your own bell peppers, simply use jarred bell peppers.  Just remember to drain the extra liquid!  Works like a charm.

a red bell pepper cut in half and cut-side down on a baking sheet after it has been roasted.

Want to find out the BEST way to cut bell peppers? Head over to my How To Cut a Bell Pepper…to minimize waste! post!

What should you use Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for?

  • As I mentioned, roasted broccoli dipped in it is absolutely delicious!  Any roasted vegetable, or even raw vegetable pairs really well with this dip.
  • Use it with pasta.  Instead of a spaghetti sauce, change up the flavor profile and use this sauce instead.
  • Add it onto chicken or fish.  It will basically make food that needs more flavor instantly more delicious!
Roasted red pepper sauce in a blender after it has been pureed.

If you’re excited about this sauce, come check out my other family friendly recipes, follow me on Instagram (my favorite place to hang out!) or subscribe to my e-mail list and get a free done for you meal plan!

A big thanks to Taesha for allowing me to share this family favorite recipe with you all!

Other veggie-loaded sauce recipes your family will love…

A jar of red pepper sauce with a spoon in it. A lemon and and bell pepper are in the background. Cashews are scattered around.
5 from 2 votes

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Condiment
This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce will transform your meal!  It is dairy free (thanks to creamy cashews) and will instantly add so much flavor to your roasted veggies, pasta, chicken or fish dish.  Quickly whip up a batch in the blender or food processor.  You will want to lick the bowl, it is that good!

Ingredients
 

  • 2 red bell peppers , (or 1 jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained)
  • 1 cup raw cashews , (soak for at least 1 hour in water, then drain liquid)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • If you are roasting your own bell peppers, preheat oven to 400℉.  Prepare the peppers by cutting them in half, removing the stems, seeds and membranes.
  • Lay the peppers on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side facing down.  You could also place the peppers directly on a baking sheet.
  • Roast for 18-23 minutes, until the skins are blackened and the peppers are sunk and have lost their shape.  Remove from the oven, place the peppers in a bowl, and cover with a plate to steam.
  • Once cooled enough to the touch, peel the skins off of the peppers.  Now you have roasted red bell peppers!
  • Once you have roasted bell peppers, combine all the remaining ingredients in a food processor (or high speed blender) and blend until smooth.
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 251mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1242IU, Vitamin C: 51mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 2mg