The Best Homemade Condiments from Your Garden

August 27, 2019
EatingWell's easy and delicious homemade condiments, from quick sriracha to rhubarb simple syrup, that'll help you get the most out of this year's garden. Want to take your summer grilling over-the-top? Make homemade ketchup using fresh tomatoes and serve with your favorite grilled meat.
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Homemade Ketchup with Fresh Tomatoes

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Making homemade ketchup with fresh tomatoes is a great way to take advantage of a late-summer tomato crop. Typical commercial ketchup is high in sodium and has a surprising amount of sugar, but this flavorful homemade version has only about one-third of the sodium and just a hint of sweetness from maple syrup.

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Basic Herb Pesto

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Use any herbs you have on hand (or surplus herbs growing in your garden) in this easy and flavorful pesto recipe. While pestos made from single herbs can be wonderful all on their own, it is also fun to play around with combinations of two or more. Some of our favorites are tarragon, chervil and parsley or mint and cilantro.

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Quick Sriracha

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You will be amazed at how easy it is to make your own Sriracha sauce with fresh chiles. Normally Sriracha is fermented, a process which takes days. Here, we've shortened that method but added molasses to get strong, bold flavor. If you have an abundance of chiles in your garden or see them at the farmers' market, this is a great way to take advantage of the bounty. Be sure to wear disposable food-handling gloves while handling the chiles!

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Basil Vinaigrette

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Drizzle this basil salad dressing over sliced tomatoes or cooked green beans. Or toss it into a grain salad for a pop of fresh summertime flavor.

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Green Enchilada Sauce

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Roasting the tomatillos and chiles in this easy homemade enchilada sauce recipe adds a little time but brings out a deeper flavor that really elevates this sauce over store-bought versions. Plus, making homemade allows you to control the ingredients to make a delicious sauce that meets your dietary needs. Make a double batch so you'll always have some on hand.

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Green Tahini Ranch Dip

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Fresh spinach and herbs blended with tahini and garlic make this tahini dip recipe perfect for crudités--or try it as a vegan alternative to regular ranch dressing.

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Rhubarb Simple Syrup

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Fresh rhubarb gives this easy simple-syrup recipe a bright and beautiful color. Try it topped with Champagne or prosecco for a quick cocktail.

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Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Ramps, wild onions that pop up in the spring, give this dressing both onion and garlic flavor. Use this healthy salad dressing to marinate flank steak or on a green salad with shrimp.

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Peanut & Fresh Mint Vinaigrette

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Be sure to use unrefined peanut oil in this healthy salad dressing--it has a cleaner, smoother taste. Drizzle this vinaigrette on Vietnamese spring rolls or toss it with rice noodles, veggies and shrimp for a tasty noodle salad.

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Grilled Corn & Carrot Giardiniera

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In this spicy-sweet marinated vegetable recipe, harissa and jalapeño lend quite a bit of heat, so adjust to your taste. Serve the giardiniera with grilled chicken or steak, or on top of your favorite salad for a vinegary bite.

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Cilantro Chutney (Kothmiri Chatni)

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Indian chutneys (or chatnis) are savory, vibrant and exploding with flavor, with a thin, saucy consistency. In this green chutney recipe, cilantro creates the basic sauce that serves as a condiment for many Indian snacks, street foods and sandwiches. The serrano chile gives it quite a blast of heat, so use less if you like a tamer sauce. Try this chutney in place of your favorite hot sauce.

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Roasted Tomato & Almond Pesto

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The delightful richness of Ellie Krieger's sundried tomato and almond pesto is a perfect partner for nutty whole-wheat pasta. It's also delicious spread on grilled chicken.

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Parsley-Lemon Vinaigrette

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Parsley has a lovely grassy flavor--but feel free to use any herb, such as cilantro, rosemary, basil or dill, in this healthy salad dressing.

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Lovage Pesto

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Lovage tastes like cardamom and celery had a baby. If you can't find lovage, increase basil to 1 3/4 cups and add 1 1/2 cups celery leaves. Recipe by Chef/Farmer Stacey Givens of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, Portland, OR.

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