Our Go-To Salsas and Sauces for Al Fresco Summer Meals

There’s a rhythm to summer holidays at the bach, and a lot of it happens around the barbecue. Long evenings, the smell of something cooking, everyone drifting in and out, and dinner eaten outside with sandy feet and no real hurry. It’s our favourite way to eat.

The secret to making those easy al fresco meals feel special isn’t a complicated recipe. It’s a good sauce. A bright salsa or a punchy herb dressing turns a simple piece of barbecued fish, a few lamb chops, or a tray of charred vegetables into something you’ll remember. Better still, they’re quick: most come together in a blender while the barbecue heats up.

These are the five we make on repeat all summer long, starting with the one that started it all.

1. Mum’s Summer Salsa

My mum’s salsa is summer food at its very best: low effort, high reward, all bright, fresh flavours. It earns its place at the top of this list, and it’s the first thing we make when we arrive at the bach.

Ingredients

• 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup chopped fresh coriander
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup finely sliced red onion
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Optional: a tablespoon or two of capers

Method

Combine everything except the avocado, mix well, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours come together. Add the avocado just before serving so it stays fresh and green.

Serve it with

Simple pan-fried snapper or kingfish. Or go with our family’s favourite approach: a wrap with mayo, fish, the salsa, a handful of coriander, and some lettuce. Hard to beat on a hot evening.

2. Chermoula

I love chermoula. It’s a North African herb sauce that’s all punch and freshness, and it does double duty as both a sauce and a marinade.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh coriander
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• Juice of a lemon
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 red chilli, or 1 tsp chilli paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt

Method

Chuck everything into the Nutribullet and whizz. That’s it.

Serve it with

It pairs beautifully with barbecued fish, chicken, lamb, or steak. It also makes a great marinade for chicken before it hits the barbecue. Or, for something different, stir a couple of tablespoons and a grated block of halloumi through lamb mince to make really delicious meatballs.

3. Jamie Oliver’s Salsa Verde

When you want a classic, sharp, herby green sauce, Jamie Oliver’s salsa verde is hard to beat, and we won’t try to improve on it. Head straight to his recipe for the method: Jamie Oliver’s salsa verde.

Serve it with

Barbecued meat and seafood, vegetables, steak, or lamb. It’s even great drizzled over a bowl of hot new potatoes.

4. Virtuous Pesto

Got a bag of salad leaves lurking at the back of the fridge and past its best? Don’t bin it, turn it into pesto. Any salad greens will do, rocket, mixed lettuce, whatever you’ve got, and you can swap the traditional pine nuts for walnuts or almonds.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cups rocket, salad greens, basil, or lettuce mix
• ⅓ cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
• 30g (about ¼ cup) grated Parmesan or hard cheese
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅛ to ¼ cup olive oil, depending on how thick you like it
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Toss all the ingredients into a food processor or blender.
2. Blend on low for about 30 seconds, until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.
3. If it’s too thick, loosen it with a tiny splash more olive oil.

Serve it with

Drizzle it over barbecued meat and vegetables, make a quick caprese salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, or use it to elevate a hot chicken bread roll.

5. Green Goddess

This one is a whole fresh salad with a creamy, herby dressing, and it’s the dish that makes the table look like you tried far harder than you did.

For the dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 avocado
• 150g spinach
• 30g basil
• 100g toasted pistachios
• 1 block silken tofu
• 1 tsp miso paste
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• A splash of water, to loosen

For the salad

• ¼ green cabbage
• 1 cos lettuce
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bunch spring onion

Method

Pop all the dressing ingredients into the Nutribullet and whizz until smooth, adding a splash of water to loosen if needed. Finely slice the cabbage, chop the lettuce, cucumber, and spring onion, then mix it all together well with the dressing.

Serve it with

Sprinkle a few extra pistachios or some torn basil over the top to make it look fancy. If you want some crunch, add croutons, toasted pita bread, or tortilla chips.

The easiest summer meals start at the bach

None of these take more than a few minutes, and together they’ll see you through a whole summer of barbecues, beach picnics, and lazy dinners on the deck. That’s exactly the kind of cooking the bach is made for: a well-stocked kitchen, the barbecue going, and somewhere to eat outside as the light fades.

If you’re dreaming of long al fresco evenings by the sea, One Fyfe Beach Bach has the kitchen, the deck, and the beach a short walk away. Book the bach for a summer week

Cook them up in our fully-kitted kitchen at One Fyfe Beach Bach.