Sweet & Sour Rhubarb Sauce, Savory Rhubarb Recipe
Turn rhubarb into a delicious, tangy sweet & sour sauce to brighten up chicken, beef, or tofu! This sauce is a great savory rhubarb recipe, serve over rice with vegetables.
Start by simmering rhubarb with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce, and blending it until smooth. This sauce is delicious paired with your favorite protein, and is a great way to use rhubarb in a new and flavorful way.
Want more fresh sauce recipes? Try our jalapeno hot sauce, smoky hot honey, or our favorite creamy vegan garlic sauce!
Our CSA box came with a wonderful surprise this week: rhubarb! So summery and delicious. I’ve eaten plenty of rhubarb in pies, but have never actually cooked with it for savory dishes.
I first had rhubarb sauce at a wonderful restaurant in Killington, Vermont: The Foundry at Summit Pond. We ordered a really yummy dish with a rhubarb sauce and inspired me to find a way to make my own at home.
I poured this amazing sauce over a few other CSA ingredients I got this week – curly kale & scallions. It was a huge hit, and really nothing like I’ve ever made before. The sauce packs a bright and vibrant punch, definitely a fun take on traditional sweet and sour sauce.
This Creamy Rhubarb Sweet & Sour Sauce Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Tangy
- Loaded with Flavor
- Hearty
- A great savory rhubarb recipe!
Savory Rhubarb Recipes
I love a good savory rhubarb recipe. This is a slight variation on our favorite way to eat tofu: baked and crispy! The sauce was so amazing and flavorful. It had such a great tang from the ginger and rhubarb, and every bite really had something new.
You can toss this bright and fresh sweet and sour sauce with any protein… or stir it into rice or vegetable stir fries.
What’s In This Savory Rhubarb Sweet & Sour Sauce?
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Rhubarb, washed and roughly chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ginger: I love adding fresh ginger to my dishes, or this great ground ginger to my curries – the ginger gives it a nice kick and spicy flavor.
- Garlic
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! if you don’t like spice, you can absolutely skip them in this recipe.
- Honey
- Soy Sauce or Tamari: Tamari is a gluten-free version of soy sauce. Tamari has a bright salty flavor, and adds a really nice depth of umami to this dish.
Additions and Substitutions
If you don’t want to use honey, you can use a natural sweetener like maple syrup or agave nectar. Or use brown sugar or coconut sugar instead.
For a spicier sauce, add more chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
How To Make This Recipe
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the sliced rhubarb and onion, and saute over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, until the vegetables become tender. Add in the garlic, ginger, and crushed pepper flakes, and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add the honey, soy sauce, and vegetable broth, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add all the sauce ingredients into a high-speed blender, and blend on high for a few minutes until the sauce has a thick consistency.
- Serve over your favorite protein and rice/grain.
Recipe FAQs
Rhubarb has a tart flavor that balances beautifully with honey, making it perfect for this sweet and sour sauce recipe.
You can store any leftover sauce in an airtight container. Refrigerate and use it within 5 days.
Yes, this recipe freezes well! Once the recipe is made, cool the sauce and place it in an airtight freezer bag. Thaw and re-heat before serving.
Other Fantastic Summer Produce Recipes You’ll Love!
- Lemon Balm Pesto Recipe
- Marinated Veggie Kabobs in the Oven
- Hummus Toast with Quick Pickled Cucumber
- Instant Pot Pesto Risotto Recipe
- Simple Lemon Quinoa Salad
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Our cookbook One Ingredient, Five Ways has tasty no-waste plant-based recipes for everyone
Sweet & Sour Rhubarb Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large stalks rhubarb washed and roughly chopped
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 2 inch piece of ginger peeled
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the sliced rhubarb and onion, and saute over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, until the vegetables become tender. Add in the garlic, ginger, and crushed pepper flakes, and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add the honey, soy sauce, and vegetable broth, and simmer for 15 mintes.
- Add all the sauce ingredients into a high speed blender, and blend on high for a few minutes until the sauce has a thick consistency.
- Serve over your favorite protein and rice/grain.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this tonight. It was great!! Thank you!
So great to hear Danielle – thanks so much for letting us know!
I am not a fan of rhubarb, but always get given it from various growers (can’t say no as it is a principle in our family to never refuse the gift of fruit, vegetables or plants, whether we like them or not, we can always find a use for them!).
I make the occasional crumble for others.
So I’m always on the look out for savoury recipes for rhubarb and this covers so many of our taste faves and can be frozen.
Very many thanks
This sounds amazing! I’ll have to give this a try once I harvest some more rhubarb! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Great, let me know if you end up trying it – the flavor is really incredible!