Dairy Free Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
This creamy dairy free roasted red pepper sauce is what I make when I want something that feels rich and comforting without turning dinner into a project. It blends up in minutes using jarred roasted red peppers and pantry staples, and it’s thick, smooth, and perfect for pasta, chicken, salmon, or roasted vegetables. The only real prep is soaking the cashews, and that can happen hands-off while you do literally anything else.
I spent years completely dairy free, and creamy sauces were always the hardest thing to replace. I tested this one a few times to get the flavor right. Skipping the tomato paste didn’t work, it needed that depth. Once I added it, the sauce finally tasted balanced and full, not flat. This is the version I still make because it’s simple, reliable, and feels way more indulgent than the effort required.
If you love easy dairy free sauces, you might also like my lemon tahini pasta, tahini pesto, or white bean alfredo. They’re all creamy, flavorful, and ready in 20 minutes or less, making them perfect for quick weeknight dinners when you want something simple but still satisfying.
Ingredient spotlight
This is not a full list of the ingredients, but a few that needed to be called out for their importance in the recipe. Please see the recipe card below for a full list of the ingredients.
- Roasted Red Peppers – Use jarred roasted red peppers to keep this quick and easy. Just drain the liquid before blending. You can roast your own, but it’s not necessary here.
- Soaked Cashews – Soaking raw cashews softens them and creates that creamy texture without dairy. If needed, you can use soaked sunflower seeds or hemp hearts instead.
- Lemon Juice – Adds brightness and balances the natural sweetness of the peppers.
- Tomato Paste – The secret ingredient. It adds depth and richness so the sauce tastes full and rounded.
How to make vegan roasted red pepper sauce
Start by soaking the cashews in boiling hot water for at least 5 minutes. 
Drain the cashews. Add them to a high speed blender with the drained roasted red peppers, lemon juice, tomato paste, water, salt and garlic powder. 
Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes until thick and creamy. 
Use on pasta, with roasted veggies, on cooked chicken or shrimp.
Top tips
- No jarred peppers? Make your own. Roast red peppers in the air fryer in under 20 minutes if needed.
- You can double the recipe – This sauce doubles easily if you want leftovers for the week.
- No kettle? Use a pot – Bring the cashews and water to a boil on the stove, turn off the heat, and let them sit for about 5 minutes.
Creamy Dairy Free Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 jar roasted red peppers - drained (7.75 oz jar)
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked)
- ¼ cup water
- ½ large lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Soak the raw cashews in fresh water: Pour boiling water over the cashews and allow them to sit on the counter for 5 minutes before draining and discarding the water.½ cup raw cashews (soaked)
- Drain and rinse the roasted red peppers.
- Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high 1 minute until smooth.1 jar roasted red peppers, ¼ cup water, ½ large lemon, juiced, 2 teaspoons tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ cup raw cashews (soaked)
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Drain and rinse the roasted red peppers. Drain the liquid from the jar and give the peppers a quick rinse to avoid any slightly off flavor from the packing liquid.
- Soak the cashews in boiling water. Pour boiling water over the cashews and let them sit for about 5 minutes to soften before blending.
- If using as pasta sauce, reserve pasta water. Save about 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining. Add ½–1 cup to the pasta and sauce until you reach your desired consistency.
- Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce in cubes, then transfer the cubes to a freezer safe bag once frozen solid. To defrost just store in the fridge overnight or heat up on the stove over low heat with a lid.
Nutrition Information
How I use this sauce
The way I use this most often is as pasta sauce. Just toss it with cooked pasta and add a little reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Done.
It’s also great drizzled over grain bowls. I love it with rice or quinoa, roasted vegetables, and salmon or chicken.
If you want something lighter, try it over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
And when I have leftovers, I use it as a sauce for roasted veggies or as a dip for fresh vegetables.
FAQs
What is the best blender to use?
A high-speed blender will give you the smoothest results. I use a bullet-style blender and it works great. A food processor should work too, but be sure the cashews are fully softened since it doesn’t blend quite as finely.
Do I have to soak the cashews
Yes, soaking cashews softens them so the sauce blends smooth and creamy. I know some blenders like Vitamix are strong enough, but I still suggest soaking them for the best consistency.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, store it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It may thicken as it sits, so bring it up to room temperature (when it’s cold it will be thicker) then add some water as needed.
If you use peppers from your garden to roast how many peppers do you need?
Typically a jar of roasted red peppers has about 2 whole peppers. Hope this helps!