Quick Sun-dried Tomato and Anchovy Sauce for Steak
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This Quick Sun-Dried Tomato and Anchovy Sauce is an absolutely delicious way to punch up a midweek meal. It’s a simple blender sauce which is no-cook, dairy-free and has huge amounts of bold flavour which can be used to accompany steak, vegetables or pasta.
This recipe was originally published on this site back in 2014 and it’s become a bit of a fan favourite over the years. I originally developed the recipe as a dairy-free steak sauce to accompany our Friday night steak night. However there was usually a bit left over so we came to appreciate it drizzled over a number of different meals and it seems like you all have too. Actually it pretty much goes with anything.
Since this sauce has a basis of sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies you might think that it’s a bit of a heavy flavour hitter for the younger members of our clan. However, the whole of the family love it. The children really go for the deep rich flavour and I often serve it in a little pot which they can dunk their chips into, instead of their perennial ketchup favourite. I have also stirred it into pasta for a very quick mid-week meal. So considering this sauce takes about 5 minutes to prepare it injects so much flavour and interest to a variety of everyday meals.
Why you will love this Anchovy Sauce for Steak
- Salty sweet herby aroma of summer.
- This Sun-Dried Tomato sauce with the anchovies are a flavour marriage made in heaven. Think puttanesca sauce.
- It’s no-cook 5 minute blender affair which is served at room temperature.
- You will reap the benefit for many meals as it goes with everything!
- An ultra quick steak sauce.
- Your new favourite Tomato Anchovy Pasta Sauce.
- The recipe is easy to scale up or down.
Why this sauce works
The anchovies inject such a deep intensity of savouriness without you even knowing they are there. The sun-dried tomatoes, which can sometimes be a little cloying by themselves, sing of sunshine sweetness whilst the red wine vinegar brings the two into check with a touch of acidity and the herbs boost the freshness.
What ingredients do we need?
- Sun-dried tomatoes – you can use pretty much any sun-dried tomatoes, although my personal favourite are the semi-dried tomatoes you can buy is delis or the chiller cabinets of supermarkets. They are often marinating in the most flavourful garlic and herb oil – which we definitely use in our sauce.
- Anchovies- Use tinned anchovies in olive oil. We will utilise the oil in our dressing. Nothing is wasted.
- Red wine vinegar – we need a bit of acidity to offset the other flavours. Red wine vinegar adds a lovely depth too.
- Fresh basil leaves – we need some fresh herbs here to add freshness and what goes better with a tomato sauce than basil?
- Fresh oregano – I wouldn’t recommend substituting with dried oregano. If you can’t find it then just omit from the recipe. We are looking for the freshness vibe here.
- Olive oil – we use a lot here but a little of this tomato anchovy sauce goes a long way. You don’t need extra virgin as the sauce is flavourful enough but you can use it if you want to.
How do you make it?
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
The steps are ultra simple:
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and the anchovies from the olive oil and reserve the oil.
- Add the tomatoes, anchovies, red wine vinegar, basil, oregano into a blender
- Mix the olive oil from the tomatoes and anchovies with extra olive oil to make up to 100ml then pour into the blender.
- Blend everything until smooth.
Tips for making this anchovy sauce for steak
- If you use the olive oil reserved from the tomatoes and anchovies then you are injecting even more flavour into your sauce which is highly recommended. Plus no wastage.
- You can use a stand blender or an immersion blender.
- You can make the sauce as textured or smooth as you want. I like it to have a little bit of body so I don’t take it to ultra smooth.
- Give the sauce a good stir through before serving as the oil can often set on the bottom.
Can you make the sauce in advance?
Yes you can. Keep the sauce in the fridge but take it out at least 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. Then give a good stir before serving. It keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
What can you serve with this Tomato Anchovy Sauce?
This sauce goes with everything!
- It’s an excellent dairy-free quick steak sauce.
- You can also use it to accompany grilled lamb chops.
- Add a couple of tablespoons to bolognaise sauce.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for crudités.
- Drizzle over houmous to punch up your dipping game.
- As a tomato anchovy salad dressing.
- Stir into pasta or a risotto.
- Use as a tomato sauce base for your pizza.
- Stir through just boiled new potatoes.
- Drizzle over steamed vegetables like green beans or broccoli.
- Or even over roasted vegetables like squash, courgettes or aubergine.
More sauces you will love!
- Roasted Tomato Freezer Sauce
- Dairy-Free Peppercorn Sauce
- Feta Pistachio Mint Pesto
- Smoky Fajita Seasoning Paste
- Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce
- Homemade Brown Sauce
I urge you to give this Quick Sun-Dried Tomato and Anchovy Sauce for Steak a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Quick Sun-Dried Tomato and Anchovy Sauce for Steak
Ingredients
- 180 g sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil - or semi-dried
- 50 g anchovies in olive oil - 30g drained weight
- 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 25 g basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 100 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and the anchovies from their olive oil, reserving the oil as you will need to add it back in later.
- Put the sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, red wine vinegar, basil and oregano into a blender.
- Measure out the reserved olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies, then add extra olive oil to make up to 100ml.
- Pour all the olive oil into the blender with the other ingredients.
- Blend everything together until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
Sun-dried tomatoes - I prefer using semi-dried tomatoes in olive oil from the deli counter. You can use regular sun-dried tomatoes. Anchovies - You can use anchovies in sunflower oil but drain them and don’t use the sunflower oil in the sauce. Red wine vinegar – can be substituted with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. They will evoke a different lighter flavour but still be delicious. Fresh herbs – Don’t substitute with dried herbs, instead just omit the herb you don’t have. If you can’t get hold of basil or oregano try with dill or parsley. It will add a different flavour but still be delicious.Cooking Tips
- You can use a stand blender or an immersion blender.
- You can make the sauce as textured or smooth as you want. I like it to have a little bit of body so I don’t take it to ultra smooth.
- Give the sauce a good stir through before serving as the oil can often set on the bottom.
