Vegan and Gluten Free
Serendipity Jane
Original Recipe: Jane Fox
Inspiration: NA
With summer right around the corner, it won’t be long before those luscious smoky sweet smells weft over the fence from your neighbors grill and into your backyard. Having the recipe for Tangy Barbeque sauce on hand along with the shelf stable ingredients, you will be able to satisfy those cravings as soon as they hit. This sauce is so delicious and tasty that served with grilled tofu “Chicken” strips, you’ll think you’re eating ribs! And, like all my recipes, it’s vegan and gluten free.
The grocery store shelves are loaded with bottles of barbecue sauce and you can find a ton of recipes on line if you want to make your own. You might ask me why I decided to come up with yet another version of the same thing. Well for one, when you have food allergies, it’s important to know exactly what you are getting! Gluten seems to hide in the darndest places!…Like condiments! When you make your own condiments, you know exactly what is in it. There is no having to guess what they mean by “natural flavors” and where the hidden gluten might pop up. Another perk to making your own is that you can choose the healthiest ingredients.
For the base, I used tomato paste. The ingredients for tomato paste are tomatoes and citric acid and I chose it because it is simple and pure. Ketchup is a common ingredient used to make barbecue sauce, but it can be extremely processed. Add the 6 oz. can of tomato paste to the saucepan and then fill the can with water and add it in. It’s almost exactly a cup.
Next add the sweeteners. I used maple syrup and organic brown sugar. The maple sugar was my choice because it not only adds a nice flavor but it’s both natural and vegan, and it contains antioxidants and other nutrients. Win, win, win! Next add the organic brown sugar. I experimented with a version where I left out the brown sugar and the taste and texture fell flat, so don’t skip it! The brown sugar not only bumps up the color, but gives a caramel smooth texture to the finished sauce.
Apple cider vinegar provides that mouthwatering tang! I kept adding a little and tasting, adding a little more, until I had used an entire ¼ cup! It’s a lot of vinegar, but it certainly gives a nice zing!
What is a barbecue sauce without the smokiness? I achieved this by adding Tabasco Chipotle sauce, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika. I’ve been hearing raves lately about chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and decided to give it a try for this recipe, since the price for a can was so reasonable. I didn’t get any further than touching the tip of my finger to a small amount of sauce on the lid and bringing it to my tongue, for a taste. It was screaming hot! My mouth was literally numb for an hour! I hear the peppers themselves are even hotter. No thank you! I’ll stick to my Tabasco Chipotle. They aren’t paying me, by the way. I really just love the stuff. The smoky paprika and the liquid smoke continue to add depth of flavor.
The last three ingredients add the trifecta of flavor: garlic, onion, and salt. Add them to the mixture, give everything a quick stir to blend, and turn the heat on the stove to medium. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes, occasionally stirring and wiping down the sides of the pan. This recipe makes about two cups, so a pint mason jar is perfect to store the sauce. If you don’t use it all right away, it will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
This sauce goes together quickly and you’ll be enjoying your veggie barbecue before you know it! I hope you love this sauce as much as I do. Enjoy.
Printable Recipe
Tangy Barbecue Sauce
ingredients, you will be able to satisfy those cravings as soon as they
hit.
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz. can Tomato Paste organic
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup maple syrup make sure it is real maple syrup
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce I use Wan Ja Shan Brand
- 2 Teaspoons Liquid Smoke
- 1 Teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce I like a milder sauce. Increase if you like it spicy.
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Onion
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan. Stir to mix.
- On medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, and let the
sauce simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally and scraping down the
sides of the pan. - Place in a pint container.
- You can use it immediately, or the sauce will keep in the refrigerator for
about a week. Makes approx. 2 cups. - Enjoy!
