Pomegranate Sauce with Mandarins – Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietitian

Pomegranates are such a versatile fruit. The deep red, sweet-tart pomegranate arils (seeds) and juice offer a rich, vibrant flavor and color to dishes beyond sweet treats. Like they do in this Pomegranate Sauce with Mandarins, which is vegan and gluten-free. With only 6 ingredients, you can mix up this sauce in just a few minutes. Simply cook pomegranate juice, mandarin orange juice and zest, maple syrup, and cardamom together, with a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up, and stir in pomegranate arils when the sauce thickens up.

I love this flavorful pomegranate sauce served with savory dishes, such as veggie meatballs, lentil patties, and potato casserole. You can even serve it on your holiday table for a new take on cranberry relish (which is what I have done numerous times). This pomegranate sauce also celebrates the fall and winter seasonal flavors of cool weather produce, like pomegranates and citrus fruit.

This recipe comes completely from my garden, as I have all of these elements—save the cornstarch and cardamom—growing in my garden. The California climate is perfectly suited for growing these Mediterranean fruits, which pair so well together. If you live in the Golden State, try growing a mandarin and pomegranate tree. Mandarin trees have beautiful, glossy green foliage, and fragrant flowers in the winter and early spring. Pomegranates grow in delightful shrubby trees with bright red flowers bringing forth round fruit like ornaments in the late fall and winter. Both of these fruits are packed with powerful antioxidant compounds linked with health protection, so it’s a good idea to include them in your diet more often. Learn more about how to cook with pomegranates here.

Print

For other sauce recipes, try some of my favorites:

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
Vegan Gravy with Onions
Cranberry Relish with Walnuts
Basic Vegan Basil Pesto

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, click here.