A delicious 4 ingredient Whole30 compliant sauce that will liven up any dish.
I have learned that a key to success on Whole30 is having great condiments on hand. Most store-bought sauces contain sugar or preservative that don’t comply with the rules. That means the ketchup or BBQ sauce hanging out in your fridge is off limits. It also means that you need to make most of your sauces from scratch.
My husband and I like our sauces. We are those people who get asked, “need a little pizza with that ranch?” We needed some great sauces to survive this 4 week journey. Thus, I was determined to make some delicious, complaint sauces to pair with our meals.
One of those sauces: this 4-ingredient balsamic glaze. A rich, flavorful sauce that works great on roasted vegetable or as a salad dressing. It taste sweet and luscious but contains no added sugar.
Let’s get to cooking.
The sauce takes four ingredients to make: balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and coconut aminos.
In a small sauce pan, add a cup of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower to a simmer. Let the vinegar cook down for 20 minutes. It should shrink to about half of its size. This process of slowly simmering the vinegar helps bring out the natural sugar in the vinegar to add a little sweetness to the sauce while also helping it to thicken. Once the balsamic vinegar is cooked down, let it cool slightly. It should thicken more as it cools. This will take about 5 minutes.
Next, add the broth, coconut aminos, and Dijon mustard (make sure all are Whole30 compliant if following the program). The broth adds umami and the coconut aminos adds a little more sweetness to round out the dish and counteract the acidity in the balsamic. The Dijon adds a little spicy, bold kick to the sauce. Cook the sauce down a few more minutes on medium-low heat until it thickens more. When the sauce coats the back of the spoon, you know it is ready.
One thing I am discovering on Whole30 is the importance of reading nutrition labels and cooking from scratch. I love balsamic glazes but usually buy them pre-made. Most pre-bought balsamic glazes are chalked full of added sugar and other unexpected preservatives and dyes. I always bought it at the store because I thought I couldn’t make it at home and get the right consistency. Turns out I was wrong. It requires a little patience to wait for the sauce to cook down, but the sauce comes together easily. Pus, it tastes amazing, much better than the store-bought kind! Also, to my surprise, you don’t need any added sugar. The natural sugars in the balsamic sweeten it up enough.
This sauce will help waken up your dinners! It will also convince you to never buy store bought balsamic glazes again.
Whole30 4-Ingredient Balsamic Glaze
A delicious 4 ingredient Whole30 compliant sauce that will liven up any dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chicken bone broth if not Whole30, regular chicken broth works too
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard I use Annie's
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
Instructions
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In a small sauce pan, add a cup of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower to a simmer. Let the vinegar cook down for 20 minutes.
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Once the balsamic vinegar is cooked down, let it cool slightly. It should thicken more as it cool. This will take about 5 minutes
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Next, whisk in the broth, coconut aminos, and Dijon mustard. Cook the sauce down a few more minutes on medium-low heat until it thickens more. When the sauce coats the back of the spoon, you know it is ready.
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Add to your favorite dishes. Enjoy!
