This Carrot Ginger Sauce makes a nice topping for various loaves and veggie burgers.  It is bright orange and tastes of ginger and vinegar — it tastes like gourmet ketchup, and can be used anyplace you would use ketchup.

This is based on a recipe called Creamy Ginger Dressing from the cookbook Friendly Foods by Brother Ron Pickarski.

Friendly Foods was one of the first vegan cookbooks I owned. Brother Ron Pickarski’s recipes are sometimes elaborate — though this one is quick! — and always delicious. Pickarski is a clever and innovative recipe inventor.  For example, he makes a gorgeous yellow pastry sauce from cooked yellow bell peppers, and he combines several sauces to make a creamy vegan stroganoff sauce that cannot be beat!  I liked reading about how his team went to the Culinary Olympics, and the innovative foods that they cooked there.

Usually I make this sauce with raw carrots, but in the picture I used cooked carrots instead.  The sauce comes out even creamier that way.

Print Recipe

Carrot Ginger Sauce - a tomato-free alternative to ketchup

Carrot Ginger Sauce - a creamy, raw, tomato-free alternative to ketchup

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Total Time4 minutes mins

Course: sauce

Servings: 2 -3 cups

Author: Valerie Mates

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons peeled ginger or 1 tablespoon dried ground ginger
• 1 cup peeled chunks of carrots or baby carrots
• 1/3 cup chunks of celery
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup miso OR 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until the sauce is smooth. It may take several minutes.
• For a smoother sauce, cook the carrots ahead of time.