Top 19 healthy sauces to have with roasts
Looking for a healthy sauce to serve with your Sunday roast? Try our low sugar, low salt, vegan, veggie and gluten-free recipes.
We all love tucking into a Sunday roast, but the sauce we have with them can be laden with fat, salt, sugar or dairy. With our recipes, you can serve up a sauce on the side of chicken, beef, pork, lamb or nut roast that's lighter but still delicious.
So, whether you're looking for a healthier sauce or you're cooking a roast for a special diet – vegan, veggie, or gluten-free – we have something for everyone.
For even more ideas for Sunday roast centrepieces and side dishes, see our healthy roast recipes.
Healthy sauces
1. Tzatziki
Using natural yogurt gives this healthy Greek dip a pouring consistency. It works wonderfully with slow-cooked lamb as the tang and fresh mint cut through the richness. Plus, it's gluten-free.
Get the recipe: Tzatziki
More like this
2. Easy onion gravy
Add this healthy onion gravy recipe to your repertoire. It's the perfect accompaniment to sausages and roasts with the deep flavours of beef stock, red wine and herbs. You'd never guess it's low in fat.
Get the recipe: Easy onion gravy
3. Healthy gravy
Serve this healthy, low-fat porcini mushroom gravy with Sunday lunch or bangers and mash. Or, you can serve it with nut roast for veggies, as this lighter sauce is meat-free. It can be frozen, too, if you want to make it ahead.
Get the recipe: Healthy gravy
Gluten free sauces
4. Sweet chilli sauce
Make your own sweet chilli sauce serve alongside your favourite Sunday roast – it's especially good with chicken or lamb. Gluten-free and low in fat, this Thai-style sauce often contains fish sauce, but we’ve kept our version veggie.
Get the recipe: Sweet chilli sauce
5. Mushroom sauce
Rich and full of umami savouriness, this gluten-free creamy mushroom sauce is just what you need with roast chicken or beef. If you have any leftover, toss it through pasta for a vegetarian dinner.
Get the recipe: Mushroom sauce
6. Salsa verde
Try our delicious salsa verde recipe with tarragon, parsley, capers and wild garlic. This gluten-free herby green sauce is perfect with traditional roast chicken and fish, or you can spoon it over roasted seasonal vegetables.
Get the recipe: Salsa verde
7. Béarnaise sauce
This gluten-free French sauce is a must when serving up steak, but it also works with rare roast beef. The fragrant aniseed flavour comes from tarragon vinegar and fresh tarragon, which cut through the richness of the egg yolks.
Get the recipe: Béarnaise sauce
Vegan sauces
8. Chimichurri
This classic South American herb sauce balances rich red meat perfectly, but it works with lots of other foods, too. Try this vibrant gluten-free sauce on anything from baked fish to vegan traybakes.
Get the recipe: Chimichurri sauce
9. Ultimate vegan gravy
Originally created for Christmas Day, our ultimate vegan gravy is good enough for any plant-based roast. Soy sauce, port and mushrooms combine to give this sauce an umami hit.
Get the recipe: Ultimate vegan gravy
10. Vegan pesto
Pesto is so versatile, it can be used for much more than pasta. Make a pot of vegan pesto to serve alongside roasted veg for something different. The leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Get the recipe: Vegan pesto
Vegetarian sauces
11. Cheese sauce
This classic, storecupboard white sauce is loaded with strong cheddar and is ready in 15 minutes. Use it to make cauliflower cheese to serve alongside nut roast with all the vegetarian trimmings – it's a wonderful combination.
12. Vegetarian madeira gravy
You might be surprised to see Marmite is used in this vegetarian gravy – it adds a salty savoury flavour. Serve as is, or use it as a base for a meaty gravy. If you don’t have any madeira, you can swap it out for the same quantity of dry sherry.
Get the recipe: Vegetarian madeira gravy
13. Chilli cranberry sauce
Who says cranberry sauce is only for Christmas? Our new take on the classic has a tiny hint of chilli – it's great all year round with nut roast and veggie sausages.
Get the recipe: Chilli cranberry sauce
14. Tahini & lemon sauce
This thick and creamy Greek sauce is almost like a dip. If you're cooking for meat-eaters, serve with slow-roast lamb. But for vegetarians, this is delicious with mixed roasted vegetables.
Get the recipe: Tahini & lemon sauce
Low-salt sauces
15. Apple sauce
Our easy apple sauce is a great accompaniment to rich meats, such as goose or pork. It needs just three ingredients to make in one simple step. Plus, it's lower in salt than some other sauces you would usually have with a Sunday roast.
Get the recipe: Apple sauce
16. Easy mint sauce
Ditch your go-to jar of mint sauce and make this fresher-tasting version with zingy capers and lemon zest. It's the perfect partner to roast lamb at Easter.
Get the recipe: Easy mint sauce
17. Traditional bread sauce
Every roast lunch needs a bowl of bread sauce on the table. It's fragrant, creamy and surprisingly low in salt, so why not give it a go and make your own?
Get the recipe: Traditional bread sauce
Low-sugar sauces
18. Herby yogurt dressing
Simply blitz this creamy dressing in a blender for a cooling, flavourful accompaniment to lamb.
Get the recipe: Herby yogurt dressing
19. Quick hummus
Dare to be different and serve slow-roast lamb with hummus for a healthier take on Sunday lunch. John Torode's easy hummus can be blitzed and ready in 12 minutes. It's vegan, gluten-free, too.
Get the recipe: Quick hummus
Looking for more healthy ideas? You might like these:
Healthy roast recipes
Healthy spring recipes
Healthy Easter recipes
Healthy dessert recipes
Have you got a favourite healthy sauce? Let us know in the comments below.
