Emulsifier Free Cucumber Mint Sauce
Cool, herby, and bright with lemon, this cucumber mint sauce is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more alive. It works beautifully spooned over grilled proteins, dolloped alongside roasted vegetables, or used as a dipping sauce for flatbreads and crudités. Many store-bought sauces and dressings sneak in lecithin, polysorbates, or other emulsifying agents to achieve a smooth, shelf-stable texture — this one skips all of that entirely. The silky consistency here comes naturally from a slow drizzle of extra virgin olive oil blended into fresh cucumber, mint, garlic, and lemon, with no additives needed. Salting and draining the cucumber first is a small but smart step that keeps the sauce from turning watery, so the flavors stay concentrated and vibrant. A few pulses in the blender keep the texture pleasantly chunky rather than fully pureed, giving it real character. Make a batch on Sunday and it will brighten up meals for the next couple of days straight from the fridge.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 medium english cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp sea salt, or to taste
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chopped cucumber in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of the sea salt and let it drain for 15 minutes, until the cucumber has released most of its excess water.
- 2
Transfer the drained cucumber to a blender or food processor. Add the mint leaves, parsley (if using), garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
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