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This Homemade Horseradish Sauce is made with fresh horseradish, and deliciously dairy-free with very few ingredients. It’s zesty, tangy, peppery, and ready to be your favorite dipping sauce.
The benefits of horseradish:
Horseradish is a root vegetable and if you’re like me, it is one of those foods that is often overlooked or forgotten about. But I’d like to shine some light on this awesome root for not only its unique taste, but also the nutritional benefits.
Horseradish is a cruciferous vegetable and in the same family as mustard, wasabi, cabbage, broccoli and kale. It’s often confused with wasabi, and oddly enough, most Japanese restaurants outside of Japan actually serve horseradish dyed with green food coloring and pass it off as wasabi!
Horseradish contains important nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, folate, and other micronutrients- and has also been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. And since horseradish is generally consumed in a sauce, in small quantities, it’s generally low in calories.
So although it may not be the most attractive vegetable, the horseradish does stack up against other root vegetables, for both taste and nutrition.
How to use this horseradish cream sauce:
Horseradish usually goes hand in hand with roast beef sandwiches, but I like to think it can be used in plant-based recipes much better! This sauce can be used in all sorts of ways. These are just a few that come to mind:
- as a zesty spread in sandwiches, like this Veggie Reuben
- mix a little in with hummus or even guacamole
- add to salad dressings
- cream into mashed potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower
- use with sushi rolls (instead of wasabi)
- or even add to Bloody Marys!
But my all-time favorite use for this sauce is with my Potato-Cauliflower Latkes– yum!! The sauce gives a slight kick of zingy flavor in every bite. Ketchup does not stand a chance.
And aside from being delicious, this sauce is also SUPER easy to prepare.
Buying horseradish:
To begin, you’ll want to find the best quality horseradish. Choose roots that are firm, have no mold or spots, look dry or have sprouts growing out of them. Also, the straighter the roots, the easier they will be to work with.
You can store horseradish on your counter or in the fridge until ready to use.
Tips for making this homemade horseradish sauce:
- Peeling/grating horseradish can take a little work/muscle. Make sure you have a good quality Chef’s knife, vegetable peeler and grater.
- Horseradish can sting your eyes and make them water, just like onions do. I recommend cutting/grating the horseradish in an open area of your kitchen and you might need to take a break during the grating process.
- If you decide to use prepared horseradish instead of fresh for this recipe, check the ingredients because many times vinegar and salt has already been added to it. If it is, you may need to adjust the vinegar and salt in this recipe to taste, or omit completely.
- I prefer to use a hand grater to grate the horseradish. Although you have to put a little muscle into it, it works perfectly fine. Another option is to cut the horseradish into small pieces and use a food processor.
How to make horseradish sauce:
To begin, peel the horseradish by using a vegetable peeler to peel the brown skin. You can also use a good quality strong knife (just don’t use ceramic as it’s more fragile).
You’ll notice there is a white ring around the outside of the horseradish. This white exterior is tough; use the knife to cut around all edges. This will make the horseradish easier to grate.
From here, you can grate the horseradish. Place a cutting board underneath and grate. You may need to use quite a bit of pressure for the horseradish to grate.
To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the grated horseradish, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, vegan mayo, and pepper. Stir until fully combined.
This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of horseradish sauce, or 12 (1 tablespoon servings).
Note: Horseradish, like wasabi, can burn your nose if you eat too much in one bite. I recommend using this sauce sparingly.
Keep the sauce stored in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last about a week. Enjoy!
Helpful Tools:
- Chef’s knife– I use this 8-inch knife for cutting the tough edges of the horseradish. I also use it for cutting large items like watermelon or spaghetti/butternut squash.
- Vegetable Peeler– I like this peeler. It’s simple but works.
- Grater– I use this one, but a boxed grater would work too.
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo with #veggie__chick on Instagram. I just love to see my recipes being made in YOUR kitchen!
Horseradish Sauce
Pin RateIngredients
- 1 medium horseradish root
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup Organic Vegenaise - or other non-dairy mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
Instructions
- Begin by peeling the horseradish root. First, use a vegetable peeler to peel the brown skin. You can also use a good quality Chef's knife (just don't use ceramic as it's more fragile).
- Next, you'll notice there is a white ring around the outside of the horseradish. This white exterior is tough; use the knife to cut around all edges. This will make the horseradish easier to grate.
- Next, you can grate the horseradish using a hand grater**. Place a cutting board underneath and grate. Note: you may need to use quite a bit of pressure.
- In a small bowl, combine the grated horseradish, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, vegan mayo, and pepper. Stir until fully combined.
- This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of horseradish sauce, or 12 (1 tablespoon servings). Keep this creamy horseradish sauce stored in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last about a week.
Notes
- *To find the best quality horseradish, look for roots that are firm, have no mold or spots, look dry or have sprouts growing out of them. Also, the straighter the roots, the easier they will be to peel or cut. You can store horseradish on your counter or in the fridge until ready to use.
- **I prefer to use a hand grater to grate the horseradish. Although you have to put a little muscle into it, it works perfectly fine. Another option is to cut the horseradish into small pieces and use a food processor.
- When grating the horseradish, it can sting your eyes and make them water, just like onions do. I recommend cutting/grating the horseradish in an open area of your kitchen and you might need to take a break during the grating process.
- Horseradish, like wasabi, can burn your nose if you eat too much in one bite. I recommend using this sauce sparingly.
- If you decide to use prepared store bought horseradish instead of fresh for this recipe, check the ingredients because many times vinegar and salt has already been added to it. If it is, you may need to adjust the vinegar and salt in this recipe to taste, or omit completely.
- Use this sauce as a side to these Potato-Cauliflower Latkes, as a zesty spread in sandwiches, like this Veggie Reuben, mix a little in with hummus or even guacamole, add to salad dressings, cream into mashed potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower, use with sushi rolls (instead of wasabi)or even add to Bloody Marys.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in June 2016, but was republished in November of 2019 with tips and FAQs.
Kaitlin says
About how much should the root gate out to? 1cup?
Christin McKamey says
Hi Kaitlin, this makes about 3/4 cup horseradish sauce. I hope that answered your question. =)
Julie says
I made this with a prime rib roast for the holidays and everyone loved it!
Christin McKamey says
Thanks Julie! =)
Candice Reed says
How long can you store it for?
Christin McKamey says
Hi Candice, it lasts for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge. =)
Christina says
If using prepared horseradish, how much would you suggest?
Christin McKamey says
Hi Christina, I’d say a half cup should be about right. =) Enjoy!
Christina says
Thanks for the response! In case others stumble on this recipe and want to use prepared horseradish, I started with 1/4 cup and from there added 1-2 more tablespoons to taste. I did not use additional vinegar. It turned out great!
Christin McKamey says
That’s awesome Christina! Thanks so much for letting us know. Glad it worked out. =)
GINGER UMSTATTD says
I made this recipe for our Passover meal. It was a real hit! I doubled the recipe and still had no leftovers. Thanks for posting it. I want to make this again! It goes great with lamb, but would be great with beef also.
Christin McKamey says
Thanks Ginger, so happy you loved it!! =)