Ginger Scallion Sauce

This vibrantly delicious Ginger Scallion Sauce is super easy to make and a fabulous way to take a meal from ordinary to extraordinary! You'll find yourself wanting to drizzle it on EVERYTHING!

We had several dinner parties scheduled over the holidays and I wanted to come up with a new way to dress up my slow-roasted salmon. I started with a ginger scallion sauce recipe from a famous restaurant in New York City. The recipe had good reviews but when I tried it, I was quite disappointed. The sauce was an unappetizing, dull green color and, although the flavor was good, there was SO much oil! But the idea of ginger scallion sauce intrigued me, so I set out on a journey to come up with my own. It took a number of attempts but I'm quite happy with the final results and I think you will be too!

A beautiful way to add pizzaz

If you've been following The Café for a while you might realize that we're a bit obsessed with beautiful, vibrantly flavored green herb sauces. I love the way they can dress things up and take a meal from ordinary to extraordinary. Some of our most beloved green sauces include this 15-Minute Chimichurri, this Middle Eastern Zhoug, this Mexican Cilantro Sauce and one of the most popular recipes on the blog, our Peruvian Green Sauce. There's more... but I think you get the picture, we LOVE these beautiful herb-laden sauces!

Maximum flavor, minimal work

This ginger scallion sauce is super easy to put together. Just throw all the ingredients (cilantro, mint, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ground coriander and salt) in a food processor and whirr away until everything is coarsely pureed. Transfer the vibrant mixture to a bowl or jar and add the oil. Stir until well combined and you're done! Or ready to make some magic.

What to do with this Ginger Scallion Sauce

This truly is a magical sauce that takes anything you serve it with from ho-hum to crazy-delish. Here are a few things you can do with it:

• Spoon over salmon, cod, halibut, scallops, chicken, shrimp, steak, pork... any protein!
• Stir a spoonful into roasted veggies as they come out of the oven.
• Drizzle it over a ham and cheese omelet.
• Use it as a sandwich spread for a turkey and Havarti sandwich.
• Combine with rice for a beautiful side dish.
• Serve it as a condiment for Asian tacos.
• Use as a dipping sauce for steamed shrimp.
• Use as a base for pizza. Top with mozzarella, rotisserie chicken, bacon, shredded carrots, slivers of green onion and cilantro or Thai basil.
• Spoon some pepper jelly over a log goat cheese or a block cream cheese. Drizzle with this Ginger Scallion Sauce and serve with crackers for a unique and beautiful appetizer.
• Make Ginger Scallion Noodles with Crispy Almonds, a new Café recipe coming up next week - SO GOOD!

So you see, you definitely want this Ginger Scallion Sauce in your life! Once you try it, you won't want to be without a jar of it stashed in your fridge to make magic with!

Cafe Tips for making this Ginger Scallion Sauce

• Did you know that you don't have to peel ginger? For a recipe like this, where the ginger is pureed in the herb/scallion mixture, just scrub it well (like you would a potato), cut off any dry ends, then slice it into coins about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick and pop it right in the food processor. If your ginger is old or the skin seems tough and wrinkly, go ahead and peel it, but otherwise, don't waste the time!
  • Skeptical? Here's an interesting article from PureWow and another from Yummly that both confer with this unconventional wisdom. And on top of being edible, ginger skin is thought to have some great nutritional value too!
• I often cut fresh ginger into little coins and throw them in a zip lock bag  and stick it in the freezer. When I need just a small amount, I can pull out a few coins. They're easy to mince when frozen and sliced like this.
• You could also use ginger paste for this recipe. Ginger paste is available in the produce section of many larger grocery stores. Sub a quarter cup for the ½ cup of thin ginger "coins".
• This Ginger Scallion Sauce recipe calls for fresh cilantro. The leaves and stems of the cilantro plant are both edible and tasty (unlike parsley stems, which are bitter) so use all of it. I usually slice off just a half-inch from the bottom of the stems as it's often beginning to dry out.
• There are also mint leaves in this recipe. If you're not a big mint fan, don't worry. There's definitely not a strong mint taste, but it combines nicely with the cilantro and ginger for a fresh delicious flavor.
• This recipe calls for 1 medium jalapeño however, it's not a spicy sauce as the seeds and core are removed which are what add a lot of heat. The jalapeno just adds another layer of delicious flavor.
• If the finished sauce is a little thicker than you'd like, feel free to add a little more water or oil to thin it out.
• If I have a few extra scallions (green onions), sometimes I slice them very thinly and add them to the sauce after it's blended for a different texture.
• This sauce will last nicely for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. I like to keep it in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. If you want to keep it longer, it freezes nicely. Thaw before serving.
• In the market for a food processor? I have had my Cuisinart Food Processor for over 5 years. It's well built and has been a wonderful workhorse in my Café kitchen.
• Lastly, I know there are those of you who don't care for the taste of cilantro. This sauce is also delicious with an equal amount of basil. Just use the leaves though, not the stems. Or if you want to try something different, try half basil and half cilantro... fabulous!

Thought for the day:

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5

What we're listening to for inspiration:

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Ginger Scallion Sauce

Chris Scheuer

This vibrantly delicious Ginger Scallion Sauce is super easy to make and a fabulous way to take a meal from ordinary to extraordinary! You'll find yourself wanting to drizzle it on EVERYTHING!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 24

Calories 37

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

• 4 medium green, spring onions, cut in 2-inch slices
• ⅓ cup fresh ginger coins, scrub ginger clean, like a potato and slice ginger into ⅛ to ¼ inch coins
• 2 cups cilantro, cut in roughly 2-3-inch lengths and tightly pack (stems and leaves) You'll need about 1 medium size bunch (you can also use 1 cup of cilantro and 1 cup of basil)
• 8 medium-size mint leaves
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeds and core removed
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2-3 teaspoons sugar, start with 2 and add more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 small clove garlic
• ¼ -½ teaspoon kosher salt, start with ¼ and add more, to taste
• ¼-½ cup neutral flavored oil, (ie sunflower, avocado, safflower, corn, vegetable, canola or grapeseed) start with ¼ and add more, to taste

Instructions

 

1. Place the green onions, fresh ginger, cilantro, mint leaves, jalapeño, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil, sugar, ground coriander, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until everything is finely pureed stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times and there are no visible chunks or stems.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or glass jar and add the oil, stirring well with a whisk or fork until the oil is incorporated. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator when not in use. Will keep well for 4-5 days.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Makes 1½ cups of sauce. Serving size is 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 37kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 116IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

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Course: Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine: Asian