Lemongrass Sauce – The Stingy Vegan

This lemongrass sauce is fresh, zesty, and packed with flavor! Made with aromatic lemongrass, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and a hint of sweetness, it’s the perfect dipping sauce, marinade, or drizzle for tofu, noodles, spring rolls, or grilled veggies.

Whether you’re cooking up a Southeast Asian-inspired meal or just want to elevate a simple dish, this vibrant sauce adds a delicious, citrusy kick.

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What is the flavor of lemongrass?

Lemongrass has a fresh, citrusy, herbaceous flavor. 

As indicated by its name, it tastes somewhat of lemon but without the sourness.

It is often described as having hints of mint and ginger that give it a touch of spiciness.

Some clever netizens describe the flavor of lemongrass to be reminiscent of Fruity Pebbles cereal.

How do you use lemongrass in cooking?

Lemongrass is a versatile herb that combines well with a variety of dishes.

Lemongrass can be used in sauces and marinades for various proteins. 

I like to use this lemongrass sauce as a marinade for tofu and as a sauce for vegan chicken or cauliflower steaks.

You’ll most commonly find lemongrass as an ingredient in Asian recipes, especially Thai and Vietnamese recipes.

Many types of curry paste already contain lemongrass and a stick of lemongrass is a great addition to add into a simmering coconut curry or various Thai soups. 

Which part of lemongrass do you use?

To prepare lemongrass for most recipes, including this sauce, start by trimming the stalk.

Cut the root off, the lower ½ inch, and the green dried leaves off the top.

The green part of the lemongrass is woody and fibrous. Only the white part of the stalk is used, approximately the lower third.

Once trimmed, peel off the tough outer layer of the stalk until you’re left with the tender white inner leaves.

Further preparation depends on your recipe. Lemongrass can be sliced, grated, pounded or used as sticks.

For this lemongrass sauce recipe, we’re going to use a food processor to blend everything together. The lemongrass is sliced up the stalk into small rounds for easy blending.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this lemongrass sauce are fresh and available in most large supermarkets or an Asian grocer.

Lemongrass: You’ll find lemongrass in the produce section of a large supermarket or an Asian market. This recipe calls for the whole, fresh stalks but lemongrass is also available as a prepared paste. I haven’t tried it with this recipe but I think it would work if that’s all you can find.

Cilantro: You’ll need a bunch of fresh cilantro. I use just the leaves and some of the tender upper stems because my food processor doesn’t do well with the thicker bottom stems. Theoretically, you can use the entire stem of cilantro if you have a better food processor than me!

Ginger and garlic: This recipe calls for quite a bit of fresh ginger and garlic but the lime juice helps to temper the flavor a bit. 

Lime: Fresh squeezed lime juice is best. Juicy limes are mostly green in color with a bit of yellow. One and a half limes equals about 3 tablespoons of lime juice.

Hot pepper: To give this recipe a touch of spice, I used one habanero pepper. I like the fruity flavor of the habanero as opposed to a jalapeño but you can use any type of spicy pepper. Thai bird’s eye chili would also combine well with the sauce flavors. Adjust the number of chili peppers to your personal spice tolerance.

Soy sauce: Recipes like this lemongrass sauce would usually call for fish sauce, but to make it vegan we use soy sauce. You can use another salty alternative such as tamari or coconut aminos.

Sugar: A little bit of brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps to create the sweet-sour-spicy-salty flavor profile that’s common in Thai cuisine.

Oil: Choose a neutral oil that won’t add any flavor to the sauce such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil.

Water: To help get your blender going and thin the sauce to your liking, add a tablespoon or two of water.

How to make lemongrass sauce 

This lemongrass sauce is super easy to make and only takes a few minutes.

Prep your ingredients: Start by prepping the lemongrass.

Cut the root off the bottom and the dry green leaves off the top until you are left with about ⅓ of the stalk.

Peel the outer leaf off. Slice the remaining white part of the lemongrass stalk into small rounds.

This recipe calls for a lightly packed cup of cilantro. I use just the leaves and some of the tender upper stems because my food processor doesn’t do well with the thicker lower stems.

Prepare the cilantro by removing the leaves from the stems but don’t worry if some of the stems get in there too.

Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.

If you’re using a very spicy chili pepper, you may want to remove the seeds to help control the spice level. 

Juice one and a half limes or until you get approximately 3 tablespoons of lime juice.

Blend: Place all the prepared ingredients along with the sugar, oil soy sauce and water in a small food processor to the tall cup that comes with an immersion blender.

Blend until a thick sauce is formed. You can adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding more water if you prefer a thinner sauce or marinade.

Variations and substitutions

Lemongrass: I’ve only tried this recipe with fresh lemongrass. You can also buy jarred lemongrass as a paste. It would probably work as a substitute if you can’t find fresh lemongrass.

Chili pepper: I use habanero chili because I like the fruity flavor but any type of chili pepper would work. You could also use red chili flakes or a prepared chili paste such as sambal oelek. 

Green onion: I’ve seen similar lemongrass sauce recipes that call for green onion (scallion) or shallots. They could be a nice addition if you like.

FAQs

Make ahead and storage tips

This lemongrass sauce has a nice vibrant green color when freshly made. After some time the cilantro oxidizes and turns more of a muddy green color.

This doesn’t affect the flavor, only the appearance! Just keep that in mind if you are making this sauce ahead of time.

Lemongrass sauce can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

This sauce can also be frozen. Try freezing it in an ice cube tray and tossing a frozen cube into whatever curry, soup or stew that you’re making for a burst of fresh flavor.

Lemongrass sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.

How to serve lemongrass sauce

This lemongrass sauce is versatile and can be used in many different dishes.

Serve it just as a sauce on whatever vegan protein you’re cooking. 

I like to use it wherever I would use chimichurri: on cauliflower steaks, on barbecued potatoes or other barbecued or roasted vegetables, or slathered on a vegan burger, sandwich or wrap.

I have also used it as a tofu marinade, with a bit more water added to help it absorb. 

Add a tablespoon or two of lemongrass sauce into soup or curry – especially coconut-based curry – for an extra punch of flavor.