A friend of ours loves a restaurant called The Whole Bowl in Portland.
It’s essentially a vegetarian version of Chipotle burrito bowls, only the sole menu item is a rice bowl with black beans, salsa, veggies, avocado, olives, optional sour cream and cheese, and something they call Tali sauce.
What is this mysterious Tali sauce? What makes it vibrant neon yellow? What makes it taste so good? These were questions that kept me up at night. So I went to the drawing board to see if I could come up with something similar. And friends, something magical was born: Liquid Gold Sauce. Let’s do this!
This recipe is super easy to make, requiring just 10 ingredients, 5 minutes, and 1 blender!
When I asked what it was made of, a kind Whole Bowl employee mentioned a few ingredients like chickpeas, lemon, and nutritional yeast, which set me in the right direction.
From there, I knew it needed the basics, like salt and garlic, but I also added some turmeric for vibrant color and tahini for creaminess.
For spice, I added curry powder because it packs an efficient punch of flavor. I also added cumin for even more warmth and smokiness and (optional) cayenne for a little heat.
Lastly, maple syrup balances out the acidity, heat, and salt.
Simply add to a small blender with a little water and blend until creamy and smooth! You’re almost ready to pour Liquid Gold Sauce onto everything you eat. BE STOKED.
We hope you love this sauce! It’s:
Creamy
Vibrant yellow
Perfectly spiced
Garlicky
Lemony
Cheesy
Kind of perfect
This would make the perfect sauce for things like our:
- Sheet Pan Meal: Curried Sweet Potato & Chickpeas
- Grilled Romaine Salad
- Smoky Shredded Marinated Jackfruit
- Butternut Squash Bowl
- Roasted Vegetables
- Rainbow “Raw-Maine” Taco Boats
- Grilled Veggie Skewers
- Kale Chip Nachos
- Smoky Tempeh Burrito Bowls
- Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Minute Liquid Gold Sauce (Oil-Free, Plant-Based)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (if you can’t have, omit)
- 2 small cloves garlic, skin removed
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (or sub lime)
- 1 Tbsp tahini (or cashew butter)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp curry powder (or store-bought)
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin (for milder sauce, omit the cumin and use only curry powder)
- 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional // omit for less heat)
- 2 tsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1/3 cup water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- To a small blender (or food processor, though it won’t be as creamy), add chickpeas, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon, tahini, salt, ground turmeric, curry powder, ground cumin, cayenne (optional), maple syrup, and water.
- Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Add more water as needed until a thick, pourable sauce is achieved.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt to taste, curry powder for spice, tahini for creaminess / nuttiness, lemon for acidity, cayenne for heat, or maple syrup for sweetness.
- Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week. You can also freeze it up to 1 month and thaw before use (do not heat) although best when fresh.
- Perfect for use on just about anything — think roasted sweet potatoes, burrito bowls, salads, and more!
Video
Notes
*Inspired by the Tali Sauce at The Whole Bowl.
Beth says
This is sooooo good. I want to put it on everything. Like other commenters, I tripled the recipe so I could just use the entire can of chickpeas. I also added a few spoonfuls of miso and adjusted salt down accordingly. I foresee making this weekly for meals throughout the week, as it really makes a bowl of veggies, tofu, grains, etc. come together as a full and delicious meal.
Amazing! We love all of that. Thanks so much for sharing, Beth! xo
Shai says
Love this sauce soooooooo much! And as you said, it’s so versatile. So far I’ve used it on potatoes and with veggie burgers and quinoa bowls.
Also thinking I will use this as a salad dressing when the weather warms up and I start eating big salads for lunch everyday!
Thanks for this awesome recipe that is such a perfect mix of healthy and tasty ingredients.
Personally, I just triple the ingredients since there are 1.5 cups of chickpeas in a can, so I like to level up…
Yay! That sounds like a great way to do it! We’re so glad you’re enjoying this sauce on so many things, Shai. Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Nellie says
This sauce is such a great condiment! My fella has renamed it “Solid Gold Sauce!” The amount of curry powder is just right and the maple syrup adds the perfect touch of sweetness. Thanks for yet another delicious, practical, and healthy recipe.
Haha, we love the rename! We’re so glad you both enjoy it! xoxo
Sarah Albert says
Fantastic! I was so excited to make this – not only does it look amazing in the pic but I had all the ingredients at the ready. Only difference was I added a pinch of ground coriander, but it would’ve been great as is.
Just tried it out on a bit of leftover baked potato, but can’t wait to try it on veggies, wraps, and salads.
Also, that colour is spot-on. She is VIBRANT!
Yay! We’re so glad you made the sauce and enjoyed it, Sarah. Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Susan Thompson says
This is soooo good!!! Thank you!!!
Aw, yay! We’re so happy to hear you enjoy it, Susan. Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Roberta says
This recipe totally exceeds expectations in the yummy sauce category. I’m looking forward to adding over steamed greens & other veggies, beans, sandwiches/flatbreads/wraps, etc.
I have one criticism: This should not claim to be “oil-free” since it includes tahini – ground sesame that includes sesame oil.
So, my 5-star rating is based on only deliciousness – not nutrition claims.
We’re so glad this recipe exceeded your expectations, Roberta! Thank you for sharing! Our tahini does not contain any added sesame oil – it’s just sesame seeds, which is why we list this recipe as oil-free.
Caris says
Do you have any suggestions for a substitution for the turmeric? I have trusted brands of curry powder that are low in turmeric, but can’t use turmeric in abundance as it is a trigger food for reflux (for me).
Hi Caris, you can just leave it out, or sub a little extra curry powder!
VJ says
For the commenter whose partner is allergic to chickpeas —
Although I’ve never made a similar sauce without chickpeas, I have definitely made it with cashews, and later, almonds, and sometimes some pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts added in.
I reluctantly made the similar sauce myself instead of buying from a food cart because I do not want, ecchh, *oil*.
Nuts are already so high in fat that I want a food cart that makes a sauce without oil — like I do!
If I were experimenting with a substitute for the chickpeas, I would consider things like nuts and seeds plus tapioca flour, maybe blended cooked barley or rice (sounds better than “gruel”, ha), or potato flour.
(Which apparently is different that dehydrated potato flakes, although I think potato flakes are great.)
Or maybe just blend in some cooked potatoes.
Tapioca flour is great for making vegan mozzarella, so it must be good for some other things, if it doesn’t harden the sauce too much.
I used much more brewer’s yeast in my recipes, usually as much as the chickpeas (in mine) and as much as the water — half cup in a double recipe.
Mel says
Would you you use this as a sauce to cook with, or only to drizzle/dip?
We’ve only tried is as a drizzle/dip, but we think it would also work to cook with it!
Jerry says
I made this without garlic and lemon because of current inflammation conditions, but even without those two ingredients, it still tasted really good. Thanks
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jerry! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jessoterica says
Holy plants! This sauce blew my mind!! I used a full can of strained navy beans and just upped the other ingredients to my taste. This recipe is going in my regular rotation for sure😋 thank you
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the sauce. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Eli says
Is there a substitute for chickpeas? My partner is allergic to beans (super bummer…..for him haha)
This sauce sounds amazing
Hi Eli, the flavors may need some adjusting, but we think you could experiment with making this a golden tahini sauce (using a lesser amount of tahini in place of the chickpeas), or possibly try cashews. Hope that helps!
VJ says
I forgot about replying here and already sent a separate comment with ideas that are both what I have actually used, and some common ingredients that sound like they would be good.
Mostly nuts and seeds plus some common good starch foods to keep it from being pure nut-based, like grains, potatoes, tapioca flour and such.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
ashaw says
This is amazingly tasty. I would happily eat the sauce on its own.
Right?! We’re so glad you love it, Ashaw. Thank you for sharing! xo
Rosie says
Great name for the gold level seasonings used in this!
I made this and distributed among my lunches for the week. I can’t wait to dig in. I opted for curry powder only since I thought cumin in addition to would be too much.
I was a bit too heavy handed with the cayenne pepper :| thank goodness for the maple syrup!
Thanks so much for sharing, Rosie! We hope you have a delicious week! xoxo
Laura says
I’ve been putting it on bowls. I like that it’s both healthy and delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Laura! Thank you for sharing! xo
Patricia says
This is a wonderful recipe. I’ve made it twice. I cook my beans from scratch and use the liquid from the cooking beans instead of water. The combination of spices with the maple syrup makes a wonderful blend quick and easy perfect for vegetables..
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Laura! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Dee says
I follow Dr McDougall and Dr Esselstyn (no oil – including tahini, nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocado, olives). Has anyone made this recipe without the tahini? Thanks.
Hi Dee, it will lack a little richness, but still be delicious!
Leslie F Black says
I believe the FoK program uses tahini as it is in one of their books, as well as avocado, etc. They do recommend using these non-processed fats in moderation, however. Their concern is that our commonly used oils are refined and processed so as to have no real food value.