Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ditch the takeout & make this Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce instead! It’s made in minutes in a blender & has the perfect balance of sweet, sour & fruity.

I make lots of different sauces and keep them on hand in the fridge for quick dinners. Even the most boring bowl of food can be transformed into something amazing with a drizzle of full flavoured, tangy sauce.

I used to love that ridiculously thick and gloopy, obviously dyed red, sweet and sour sauce from Chinese takeouts. I really don’t know what I was thinking.  From what I can remember it was mostly sweet without much sour and incredibly cloying.

My version of this classic takeout sauce is perfectly sweet, sour and tangy. Compared to most recipes out there it doesn’t contain an awful lot of sugar. It has a bit, but most of the sweetness comes from fresh pineapple which is blended up into it. It’s so fruity and delicious and as an added bonus you’ll be getting a serving of fruit while you’re slurping your big ol’ bowl of noodles or rice for dinner!

HOW TO MAKE MY HEALTHY SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

This Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce is so easy to make. If you have made my Garlic Pineapple Sauce then you will be familiar with my lazy sauce making method:

• Gather all of your ingredients and throw them in a blender
• Blend until smooth
• Pour into a pan and warm through, stirring as you go.

That’s it! Lazy sauce making masterclass done. 😉

SERVING IDEAS

This sauce is incredibly versatile. It goes well with rice, noodles, grains like quinoa and millet, vegetables, tofu and tempeh. Use it as a stir fry sauce, drizzle it on rice or noodle bowls or use it as a dipping sauce. My favourite way to eat it is with crispy tofu and rice.

If you give this Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce a try be a ☆ and let me know what you think in the comments below or share a pic on Instagram!

5 from 2 votes

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Healthy Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ditch the takeout & make this Healthy Sweet & Sour Sauce instead! It’s made in minutes in a blender & has the perfect balance of sweet, sour & fruity.

Course Main Course

Recipe Type gluten-free, oil-free, vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 340 mls

Calories 106 kcal

Author Mel | A Virtual Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
• 260 g (about ¼ of a large) pineapple chopped up into chunks drained canned pineapple can be used instead - see recipe note
• 3 tablespoons | 45mls rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar I used organic cane sugar but brown sugar or coconut sugar works well too
• 85 mls | ⅓ cup natural tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
• 1 small clove garlic
• 45 mls | 3 tablespoons water or if you use canned pineapple use the juice from the can

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. It will be really foamy and an insipid kind of colour but the foam disappears when it's heated and the colour brightens up.
2. Pour into a pan and warm over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is nice and thick. It takes around 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes

If you use canned pineapple you might need to adjust the amount of sugar. If your canned pineapple is sweetened you might need less sugar and if it's not sweetened you may need to add a bit more. If you prefer your sauce a little thinner just add a little hot water from a kettle and stir well to thin it out. This sauce will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge. It also freezes well.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Sweet & Sour Sauce

Amount Per Serving (85 mls)

Calories 106 Calories from Fat 1

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.1g 0%

Sodium 441mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 25g 8%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 21g

Protein 0.8g 2%

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 52%

Calcium 1%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.