Homemade Mint Sauce

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 08/9/22
Homemade Mint Sauce

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
15 Calories
0g Fat
4g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 28mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Dating back to the 1600s in England, mint sauce was originally served with lamb to cut the "mutton-ness" of the meat. This pairing stuck, and the two have been together ever since. Quite the British custom, serving lamb without the accompanying green sauce in England is considered a slap in the face of tradition.

Although in some places mint jelly has taken the place of homemade mint sauce, there is very little the jelly and fresh mint sauce have in common. Considering homemade mint sauce is quite simple to make with just a few ingredients—fresh mint, sugar, and vinegar—it's time to ditch the mint jelly and serve this fresh herb sauce with roast lamb as well as other meats.

This recipe appears in "English Country Cooking at Its Best" (Villard Books) by Caroline Conran and is reprinted with permission. As an alternative, you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar, and you can also add a little olive oil for a creamier texture.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mint leaves

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for homemade mint sauce recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Place washed mint leaves on a cutting board and sprinkle the leaves with the sugar.

    Mint leaves sprinkled with sugar, on a wood cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Chop the leaves rather finely.

    Chopped mint leaves on a wood cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Transfer the chopped mint with the sugar to a bowl.

    Mint and sugar in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar over low heat.

    Vinegar in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Pour the vinegar over the mint.

    Vinegar and mint in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Taste and add more sugar if you think the sauce is too sharp.

    Add sugar to the mint in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Serve hot or cold with roasted lamb or other meats.

    Homemade mint sauce in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Store fresh mint sauce in the refrigerator for one to two days.
  • The extra mint sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for falafel, or with other roasted meats.

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