Citric Acid Free Sunflower Seed Lemon Sauce
This creamy, blended sauce is bright, garlicky, and surprisingly rich — the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle over everything from roasted vegetables to grain bowls. Raw sunflower seeds form the base, soaked and then blended until completely smooth, giving the sauce a velvety texture without any dairy or processed thickeners. The lemon juice and zest come straight from a fresh lemon, which matters a lot here — bottled citrus products often contain added citric acid as a preservative, so squeezing your own keeps the ingredient list genuinely clean. A clove of garlic, a touch of cumin, and an optional pinch of cayenne round out the flavor with just enough warmth and depth. The whole thing comes together in a blender in under ten minutes of active work, with a short soak being the only real patience required. It keeps in the fridge for up to four days, so you can make a batch on Sunday and reach for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup water, plus more to thin
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the sunflower seeds in the blender or food processor and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Let soak for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
- 2
Add the drained sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup fresh water, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, salt, cumin, and cayenne (if using) to the blender. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides once halfway through.
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