A good sauce doesnt have to be loaded with milk, cheese, and butter.

The wonderful thing about plants and plant-based ingredients is how flexible they can be.

While you might buy vegan sauces, making your own doesnt have to be complicated.

I say sometimes because either the binder or liquid can also double as the main flavor.

To complete your saucy assignment, youll need a blender you’re able to trust.

Any budget standard blender, food processor, or immersion blender will do the trick.

Swap it out for a non-dairy milk, oil, veggie broth or stock, pasta water, oraquafaba.

The liquid component will help you reach the ideal consistency youre looking for.

Choose your binder

The binder is the fun part.

Odds are that this is your main vegetable, or youll have a main vegetable with a binder-helper.

The extra step with those three is soaking.

Try a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast to get a cheesy flavor.

after you grab your components, youre can do a raw sauce or a cooked one.

This will also ensure a smoother sauce if your blending machine is a little dull.

Reserve about a quarter of the liquid to adjust your consistency later.

Add the mixture to a blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree.

Adjust the consistency if needed with the reserved liquid.

Add the ingredients to a regular blender, or a tall vessel if youre using a stick blender.

Like the cooked version, reserve a small amount of the liquid for later.

Puree, and use the reserved liquid to adjust the sauce if needed.

One of my favorite veggie sauces is soft-cooked broccoli with onions, garlic, and broth.

Try it out, then play around with other vegetables and bases.

it’s possible for you to always start simple.

Saute until softened and the onion is browning slightly.

Add the broccoli, salt, baking soda and one cup of broth.

Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir and break apart the broccoli to check out how its softening.

Cover, and cook for another 5 minutes.

The broccoli should be easy to break and buttery soft.

Turn off the heat and blend the mixture.

If its too thick add more broth until you reach your desired consistency.

Great tossed with pasta or slathered on potatoes.