Easy Romesco Sauce Recipe

Romeso sauce combines red bell pepper, tomato, nutty almonds, and a few pantry-staple seasonings into an easy-to-make, well-balanced dip.

Course Appetizer, Condiments

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword Romesco, Romesco Dip, Romesco Dip Recipe, Romesco Recipe, Romesco Sauce, Romesco Sauce Recipe, Salsa Romesco

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 118kcal

12 ounces sweet red peppers (de-seeded and quartered)
1 heirloom tomato (quartered)
3/4 cup blanched almonds (or hazelnuts)
4 large cloves garlic (peeled)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar or 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional; for complexity)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400F.
Roast. Spread out the red pepper and tomato on a baking tray, and roast 10 minutes. Spread the almonds out on a small baking tray and roast 5 minutes. (Leave the red peppers and tomato in the oven; they roast for 15 minutes total.)
Blend. Add the peppers, tomato, almonds, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, smoked sweet paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, and olive oil, and puree until it's as smooth as you like (I leave a little texture). Stir in the parsley. Serve.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I find that its flavor gets even more complex over time.
5-Minute Shortcut Version: Use store-bought roasted red bell peppers, de-seed your tomato, and swap out the blanched almonds for store-bought roasted, unsalted almonds (sliced, slivered, or whole almonds, whatever you can find that's toasted or roasted). Add everything to a blender, puree, and you're good to go!
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 2 cups of dip, or 8 (1/4-cup) servings.
Net Carbs: 4 grams per 1/4-cup serving.