Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce

By Amanda Paa – Updated May 31, 2021
4.34 from 3 votes
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Years ago, when I started appreciating food more and thinking about why the simple dishes at restaurants tasted that much better than at home, most of the time it came down to 1) perfected techniques and 2) the SAUCES.

Sauces can take a roasted vegetable and turn it into the best thing you’ve ever eaten, transform grain bowls from a boring meal into a resounding “I’m going to start meal prepping” attitude, and elevate a plain chicken breast to something you want to serve at the next holiday dinner. They’re that magical element that we often overlook, yet are rewarded time and again when we make. I found that out when I made this vegan roasted red pepper sauce for the first time.

Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce - incredible sauce for grain bowls, sandwiches, vegetables
5 Minute Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce

I’ve been working on this walnut avocado yum sauce for the past month, prompted by a request from California Walnuts and you. Yes, YOU helped me pick this recipe by voting on a few different recipe ideas via my instagram story! The goal was to combine a few of the players on #TeamGoodFat — walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and salmon. All four are rich sources of omega 3’s and/or unsaturated fats. When you combine two in while cooking, you’ll add different varieties of healthy fat to your meal. 

Walnuts are an excellent sauce thickener, and give a richer, savory essence compared to using something like cashews which tend to be sweeter. They’re a great match with the creamy, brightness of avocado and herbs like parsley and basil.

There’s a glug of olive oil for consistency, garlic and red pepper for punchy flavor, and the acidic component – white wine vinegar. The first few tests I tried citrus, then apple cider vinegar, and both were just too powerful. White wine vinegar was the answer, delicate enough to brighten the ingredients and provided balance.

5 Minute Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce
Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce - incredible sauce for grain bowls, sandwiches, vegetables
Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce - incredible sauce for grain bowls, sandwiches, vegetables

This sauce is extremely versatile and makes just the right amount to last two or three days, which is pretty much the max in keeping the green color (because the avocado will eventually oxidize).

Here’s a few ideas for you for dishes that would LOVE a dollop of yum sauce:

  1. Sweet Potato Tacos from Smitten Kitchen
  2. Crispy Smashed Potatoes from Recipe Tin Eats
  3. Vegetarian Instant Pot Pinto Beans from me
  4. Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Bowls from Minimalist Baker
  5. California Veggie Sandwich from Martha Stewart

xo,
Amanda

If you make this recipe, tag your photos or story on Instagram, with @heartbeetkitchen so I can see!

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Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce - incredible sauce for grain bowls, sandwiches, vegetables

Walnut Avocado Yum Sauce

A green avocado sauce foe grain bowls or roasted vegetables!
4.34 from 3 votes
Prep Time :5 minutes
Cook Time :5 minutes
Total Time :10 minutes
Yield: 3 /4 cup
Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

Ingredients

  • half of one avocado
  • 1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 large clove garlic or 2 small cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients to food processor except water and olive oil. Pulse 10 times to get ingredients moving. Add olive oil, and pulse 5 more times.
  • Then begin adding 1/2 cup water, while fully processing. Stop processing once combined and mostly smooth, about 15 seconds.
  • If you like the thickness, you can leave it, or add up to 1/4 cup more water. 

Notes

This is the food processor I’ve had for years, and love.

Did you make this?

tag @heartbeetkitchen on instagram and hashtag it #heartbeetkitchen

March 24, 2018

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15 comments

  1. Pepe

    The recipe sounds very appealing, but could you clarify which kind of avocado the recipe calls for (e.g., Yanagata, Zutano, fuerte, hass)? The recipe calls for 1/2 an avocado, but 1/2 of a Fuerte has more fruit than an entire Hass. Thanks.

    • Amanda Paa

      I typically use a Hass avocado!

  2. DONNA C. LARSEN

    This looks so good and filled with flavor. I need to try this soon!

  3. Cassie Thuvan Tran

    Ooh, this recipe looks dangerously yummy! I would seriously put this on EVERYTHING if I make it. The colors are also glorious!

  4. Natalie

    This sauce looks really nice!
    However, I’m not into the basil leaves. Can I remove it from this recipe?

    • amandapaa

      Hi Natalie! The basil provides depth in flavor. If you leave it out, replace with equal amount of cilantro.

  5. 2pots2cook

    Love it; glad to see walnuts used :-) Thank you ! Pinning.

    • amandapaa

      i use walnuts all the time, i wish i would have discovered them sooner in my life! they make the best nut milk too.

  6. Ruby

    Yesss I was so looking forward to this recipe! I am obsessed with a good sauce and this one sounds downright perfect. Love all of those ingredients and I can’t wait to try it on everything! xx

    • amandapaa

      hooray! it was so fun having everyone on instagram help me decide on this recipe. hope you love!

  7. Mimi

    Yum is right! This is fabulous! And thank you for not including tahini. It seems to be in every dip, even though I don’t think in many it can even be detected!!

  8. Jack @ BBQ Recipez

    I love the sound of that avocado sauce! It was frigid here over the last few days too, so I feel you on the carby comfort foods. Gotta warm up from the inside out!

    • amandapaa

      and the sight of something so green helps brighten the day, too!

  9. Kelly Mulcair

    Yum indeed. Love the simple, delicious ingredients and I can’t wait to plant my herb garden!

    • amandapaa

      we are anxiously awaiting spring, too! and i’m determined to my basil plant alive just so i can make this sauce at the ready!