Vegan Southern Remoulade (Gluten-Free, No Lemon)
Davis Whitehead·25 min·Makes about 1 cup (240 g)This vegan remoulade is a Southern seafood-house classic made plant-based: creamy, tangy, briny, mustardy, and just spicy enough to wake up fried okra, wings on the side, or roasted vegetables. It comes together in minutes, then gets noticeably better after a short rest as the garlic mellows and the flavors knit. Keep it thicker for dipping, or loosen it with pickle brine for drizzling over bowls or slaw.
- gluten-free
- vegan
- sauce
- southern
Ingredients
- •Vegan mayonnaise, 150 g (about 2/3 cup)
- •Dijon or Creole mustard, 15 g (1 Tbsp)
- •Sweet pickle relish, 30 g (2 Tbsp)
- •Capers, drained and finely chopped, 10 g (about 2 tsp) (optional)
- •Dill pickle brine, 10–20 g (2–4 tsp), plus more to thin
- •Apple cider vinegar, 5 g (1 tsp)
- •Garlic, finely grated or minced, 3 g (1 small clove)
- •Smoked paprika, 2 g (1 tsp)
- •Cayenne pepper, 0.5–1 g (1/4–1/2 tsp), to taste
- •Freshly ground black pepper, 1 g (1/2 tsp)
- •Kosher salt, 1–2 g (1/4–1/2 tsp), to taste
- •Optional: prepared horseradish, 10 g (2 tsp) for extra bite
- •Optional: hot sauce, 5–10 g (1–2 tsp)
- •Optional: chopped parsley, 5 g (2 Tbsp) for a fresher finish
Instructions
Mix
In a bowl, add vegan mayonnaise 150 g (about 2/3 cup) and mustard 15 g (1 Tbsp). Whisk until perfectly smooth and glossy.
Whisk in sweet pickle relish 30 g (2 Tbsp) and (if using) chopped capers 10 g (about 2 tsp).
Add garlic 3 g (1 small clove), smoked paprika 2 g (1 tsp), cayenne 0.5–1 g (1/4–1/2 tsp), and black pepper 1 g (1/2 tsp). Stir until the sauce turns a pale orange-pink and smells smoky-garlicky.
Whisk in pickle brine 10 g (2 tsp) and apple cider vinegar 5 g (1 tsp). Taste, then season with kosher salt 1–2 g (1/4–1/2 tsp) only as needed (pickles/capers vary).
Adjust texture + rest
For a dip, stop here— it should be thick enough to mound on a spoon. For a drizzle, whisk in additional pickle brine 5 g (1 tsp) at a time until it ribbons off the spoon.
Cover and rest in the fridge 10–20 minutes (or up to overnight). It’s ready when the garlic bite softens and the sauce tastes more “rounded” and integrated.
Serve
Serve chilled with air-fried okra, roasted okra, sweet potato wedges, slaw, or as a cool counterpoint to hot-honey-style wings.
Notes
No lemon: this version uses pickle brine + apple cider vinegar for the tang.
Make it more Southern-seafood-house: add horseradish 10 g (2 tsp) and a little extra black pepper.
Make it more BBQ-joint: add hot sauce 5–10 g (1–2 tsp) and bump smoked paprika by another 1 g (1/2 tsp).
Storage: keeps 5–7 days refrigerated in a sealed container. Stir before serving.
If your relish is very sweet, increase vinegar by 2–3 g (1/2 tsp) and/or add another 5–10 g pickle brine to sharpen it.