Gluten-free · Soy-free

 

Pipian blanco is an ancient Mexican sauce that’s characterized by the nuts and/or seeds that are used to thicken it (it’s naturally vegan!), and it’s traditionally served with some sort of animal protein.

Pipian blanco translates to “white sauce”, and actually tastes completely different to pipian verde (check out that recipe here). In fact, it’s not very commonly eaten in Mexico because it’s more of an ancient dish and since the base is almonds, it isn’t very cost-effective since nuts and seeds are expensive for a lot of people. In Mexico City, there are only a few restaurants that serve it.

As with all Mexican recipes, there are a lot of varieties of it, some consisting of almonds only, and some including tomatillo. This recipe includes both almonds and sesame seeds, and we’re keeping it 100% vegan by using vegetable broth of course. I’m also serving it with a vegetable that you might not of heard of but is commonly used in Mexico—chayote.

And fun fact: apparently pipian blanco was one of Frida Khalo’s favorite dishes!

Personally, I love it because it’s so rich in flavor, it’s creamy, and goes well with a lot of ingredients.

Substitutions

• If you don’t have sesame seeds, you can make substitute them with more almonds.

• Instead of vegetable broth, you can use water (although I really recommend broth because adds a lot more flavor).

• Serve it with other vegetables instead of chayote like sweet potato, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, turnips, beets, etc.

• Add toasted almonds and sesame seeds for crunchiness as toppings for crunchiness if you like.

Equipment

• High-speed blender 

• 1 large pan 

• 1 medium pot 

• 1 small bowl

• 1 Microplane or zester

Uses

• Use to accompany grains, legumes, vegetables, or vegetable protein.

• Make enchiladas using the sauce.

• Use it as a base for other sauces.

 

 

watch the recipe video here:

 

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

Pipián Blanco (makes 1 qt/ 1 kg)

800ml vegetable broth (click here for recipe)

70g toasted sesame seeds

145g toasted blanched almonds 

19g (about 1/4 whole) anaheim or cubanelle pepper 

Sea salt, to taste

20ml olive oil, for frying

Chayote

700g (about 2 whole) chayote, cut into bite-size pieces

200ml vegetable broth, for cooking (click here for recipe)

Sea salt, to taste

Quick-Pickled Onion & Pepper

27g (about 1/4 whole) white onion, julienned

30g (about 1/2 whole) anaheim or cubanelle pepper

Zest and juice of 1 lemon or lime 

Salt, to taste 

TO SERVE

6g capers

Fresh parsley leaves

Green olives (optional)

Method

Pipián Blanco

1. In a high-speed blender place broth, sesame seeds, almonds, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Strain if desired to make it smoother. At this point it will be quite liquid in texture.

2. Heat a medium pot on medium-low flame and add olive oil. As soon as it starts warming up, add sauce little by little. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. It’s important to keep stirring here, otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Once thickened to the consistency of a sauce, remove from heat and set aside.

Chayote

1. Heat a large pan on medium heat and add vegetable broth. You want to add enough to cover about 1.5 inches in the pan. Add a pinch of salt to season it, then place the chayote in the pan in a single layer. Cover and cook for 6-10 minutes.

1. Check the chayote after 6 minutes with a cake tester or a toothpick. You want it to go through, but still have a little bit of resistance. You don’t want to overcook it, otherwise it’ll become mushy and lose its vibrant green color. Put the lid back on and cook for a few more minutes if necessary. Once ready, remove from the pan and set aside. If you’re not going to use it right away, make sure to cool it down in some ice water to stop the cooking process.

Quick-Pickled Onion & Pepper

1. Place all the ingredients together in a small bowl and massage with your hands until the onion has wilted slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning, then set aside to marinate.

Plating

1. Place the sauce at the bottom of the plate and the chayote on top of the sauce. Top with capers, parsley leaves, and green olives, if using.