🌞 California Tamarind Sunshine Sauce

California Tamarind Sunshine Sauce is a sweet, tangy, smoky and citrusy plant-based dipping sauce bursting with fresh California flavor. Made with tamarind, fresh lime, maple syrup and smoky chipotle, this quick and easy vegan sauce is perfect for dipping, drizzling, glazing and dressing everything from crispy California avocado rolls to tacos, salads, grilled vegetables, bowls and more. Full of bold flavor and made with simple plant-based ingredients, it's a little taste of California sunshine in every bite. Discover more original recipes from The Nomad Kitchen by Tré Taylor at tretaylor.com.

Sweet • Tangy • Smoky • Citrusy • Plant-Based

🌶️

There are some sauces that politely accompany dinner.

This isn't one of them.

California Tamarind Sunshine Sauce is bright, sticky, tangy, smoky and just a little spicy—the kind of dipping sauce that makes you immediately start wondering what else you can dunk into it.

Tamarind brings a wonderfully complex sweet-and-sour flavor, fresh lime wakes everything up, maple syrup adds mellow sweetness, and smoky chipotle gives the whole thing a warm little California kick.

Best of all, it's completely plant-based and takes only a few minutes to make.

🥑 Originally created to accompany our California Sun shine Avocado Rolls, one of The Nomad Kitchen's favorite vegan appetizers for Summer 2026.

But don't stop there.

Drizzle it. Dip it. Brush it. Toss it.

This little jar of sunshine has plans.

🌴 CALIFORNIA TAMARIND SUNSHINE SAUCE

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: None
Makes: About ½ cup
Diet: Vegan • Vegetarian • Dairy-Free

🍋 WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate

• 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

• 1 teaspoon chipotle adobo sauce

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 1–3 tablespoons warm water, as needed

• Tiny pinch of sea salt

🌶️ MAKE THE SUNSHINE

Add the tamarind concentrate, maple syrup, lime juice, soy sauce or tamari, chipotle adobo sauce and sea salt to a small bowl.

Whisk until smooth and glossy.

Add warm water one teaspoon at a time until the sauce reaches the consistency you love.

For dipping, keep it slightly thick.

For drizzling over salads or bowls, thin it a little more.

Stir in the fresh cilantro last.

Now taste it.

This is where you get to make it yours.

🍯 Sweeter? Add another touch of maple syrup.

🍋 Brighter? Squeeze in more fresh lime.

🌶️ Hotter and smokier? Add another little spoonful of adobo sauce.

💥 More savory? Add a few extra drops of tamari.

🥑 PERFECT WITH CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE🥑

AVOCADO ROLLS

This sauce was born for our crispy California Sunshine Avocado Rolls.

Creamy avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, fresh herbs and smoky chipotle wrapped inside a hot crispy shell meet this cool, sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce.

Creamy + crispy + sweet + tart + smoky + spicy.

That's the bite.

🌮 BUT DON'T STOP AT DIPPING

Keep this recipe around because California Tamarind Sunshine Sauce can do a lot more than babysit an egg roll.

Try it with:

🥑 Crispy avocado rolls
🍤 Grilled shrimp
🌮 Fish or vegetable tacos
🥕 Roasted vegetables
🍗 Grilled chicken
🥗 Chopped salads
🌯 Grain and veggie bowls
🥦 Crispy cauliflower
🍠 Roasted sweet potatoes
🥒 Fresh summer vegetables
🌽 Grilled corn
🍢 Vegetable skewers

Thin it with a little additional lime juice and water and you've suddenly got a tamarind-lime salad dressing.

Brush a slightly thicker version over vegetables during the final minutes of grilling and you've got a gorgeous glaze.

One little sauce. A ridiculous number of possibilities.

💚 KEEP IT VEGAN

Use maple syrup or agave rather than honey.

If gluten is also a concern, choose certified gluten-free tamari and check the labels on your tamarind concentrate and chipotle product.

🫙 STORING YOUR SAUCE

Transfer leftover sauce to a clean airtight container and refrigerate promptly.

Because we're using fresh lime and cilantro and no commercial preservatives, this is a fresh condiment, not a shelf-stable sauce.

Give it a good stir before serving again.

And frankly, make a small batch and enjoy it fresh.

It takes five minutes.

☀️ A LITTLE CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE

The best summer food doesn't need to be complicated.

Sometimes all you need is something fresh from the market, something sizzling off the grill, a few people you love—and one spectacular sauce sitting in the middle of the table.

California Tamarind Sunshine Sauce is sweet, tart, smoky, bright and just mischievous enough to make an ordinary plate of vegetables suddenly seem like a very good idea.

Now pass the dipping bowl.

Love • Music • Food • Art • Fun

— Tré Taylor
The Nomad Kitchen
tretaylor.com