horseradish sauce with thyme

When it comes to eating meat, I’m definitely a condiments girl. I don’t eat steak very often, but when I do, I NEED a great sauce to go along with it. I’m a big fan of mustard, I love chimichurri, and gremolata is always good. Give me a sauce! Except ketchup (catsup?). Don’t give me that.

My absolute favorite condiment, though, is *drumroll, please* horseradish sauce! It’s creamy, pungent, and it clears out your sinuses, kind of like wasabi. I LOVE it. And honestly, the stronger the better, and what’s the best way to get a smack-in-the-face horseradish sauce? Make it yourself!

It all starts with the root

No, “horseradish” is not in itself a sauce. It’s a root vegetable that actually looks a bit like a tree branch. Or, as the name would suggest, the root of a tree. But don’t let looks deceive, as this homely vegetable, once prepared, will pack quite a punch and will contribute to an incredibly delicious condiment. Get those taste buds ready!

How to prepare your horseradish

When making horseradish sauce from scratch, yes, you can take a shortcut and buy prepared horseradish at the store. But if you really want to create an impressive sauce and have a little rootsy fun in the process, I highly recommend starting with a freshly dug horseradish root.

You can typically find horseradish in the grocery store among the other root vegetables like beets and carrots, and it looks like this. For this recipe (which is a pretty large batch of sauce), you’ll want at least a 6-inch piece of horseradish, and the straighter the better, as it will make the peeling easier.

Once you’ve found your piece of horseradish, the rest of the preparation process is extremely simple. After peeling and roughly chopping the horseradish, you’ll add it to a food processor with water, and drain the grated horseradish to get rid of some of the excess liquid. Make sure to be very careful during this process, and keep your eyes and nose as far from the horseradish as possible. After grating, horseradish is extremely potent and can emit irritating fumes.

Once the horseradish has been drained of excess liquid, you’ll add some vinegar and salt, which will help reduce the pungency of the flavor. Once everything has been combined, your horseradish is prepared, and you’re ready to make some sauce!

Time to get saucy

Once your horseradish is prepped, here’s what else you’ll need to create the queen of condiments.

Greek yogurt Typically horseradish sauce is made with sour cream and mayo, but I love the texture and flavor of Greek yogurt. Plus, it lightens things up a little!

Mayonnaise You’ll need a little bit of this condiment to accompany the yogurt

Dijon mustard Another star condiment that can stand on its own—but will help make this one shine as well

Fresh thyme This is my own personal herby twist to the sauce. I love the flavor of thyme, but you can substitute other herbs if you’d like (go with whatever you have fresh)

Salt and pepper To top things off

Hopefully you never have to go another day eating a dry piece of meat, as you’ll have this delicious sauce to accompany it! Take pics, and tell me what you think

⟶ the recipe

horseradish sauce with thyme

ingredients

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

For the prepared horseradish

6–8-inch piece of horseradish root, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

⅛ teaspoon salt

Prep time

10 minutes

Cook time

5 minutes

Total time

15 minutes

Makes approx. one cup of sauce

instructions

Begin by preparing the horseradish:

Grind the chopped horseradish in a food processor along with the water. Using a mesh sieve, strain out some of the liquid, and place ground horseradish back in the food processor. Add the vinegar and salt, and pulse until combined. Measure out what you’ll need for the sauce, and transfer the rest of the prepared horseradish to a jar to refrigerate.

Combine the prepared horseradish with yogurt, mayo, mustard, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the thyme, and serve.

⟶ modifications

You can also find prepared horseradish ready to go in the store if you’re in a pinch. But I recommend making your own. It’s cheaper, and you know it’ll be fresh!