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Nepenthe’s ambrosia sauce for burgers and fries

April 29, 2013 by Marin Mama 9 Comments

Nepenthe's ambrosia sauceRemember that tofu burger that I raved about having at Nepenthe in Big Sur?  I swear it was the best tofu burger that I’ve ever eaten.

IMG_4230Unfortunately, I  didn’t find the actual tofu burger recipe yet, but I’m still on the hunt. I did find the recipe for their amazing ambrosia sauce that they slather all of their burgers with, as well as serve up with their shoestring fries. We all devoured and raved about this secret sauce. The kids loved it, the in-laws loved it, and John and I loved it. It gave each of our burgers a pop of flavor, and was also a great and addicting dipping sauce for our fries. I replicated the sauce at home and honestly couldn’t believe how simple it was. We served this sauce up on a thin, lean burger patty and used the extra sauce to dip our onion rings into. My kids said that this sauce made their burgers, and the sauce turned their boring old baked onion rings into a gourmet experience. Seriously, it’s a simple 3 ingredient sauce that will give some real flavor to your next beef or buffalo burger. Burgers and ketchup equal boring, but burgers with ambrosia sauce equal flavor.

I’m giving you 2 quantities below. The full recipe is great for those nights when you’re having friends over and grilling up some burgers. The half recipe is perfect for those nights when your just making burgers for the family. We made the full recipe and found that it was a bit too much for a family of four and we had plenty of leftover sauce, so next time I’m going to make the half recipe for the family.  I know the below ingredients seem strange, but mixed together they really make a great sauce.

ambrosia sauceambrosia sauce:

recipe from Nepenthe

full recipe:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise –  use the real stuff, not miracle whip
  • 1/4 cup mild green salsa – I actually used some of my leftover tomatillo sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce

half recipe:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise – use the real stuff, not miracle whip
  • 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) cup mild green salsa
  • 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) tomato sauce

Measure out your mayonnaise, green salsa and tomato sauce.

ambrosia sauceIn a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, green salsa and the tomato sauce until well combined. That’s seriously it!  I told you this sauce was easy.

DSC_0041Top this sauce on your favorite burger or use it to dip your fries or onion rings into.   

DSC_0056-2

Next time you’re in Big Sur, you have to stop by for lunch or dinner at Nepenthe.  The restaurant not only has amazing food, but a view that will take your breath away.

IMG_4226

Here’s the view from our table.  IMG_4213

Nepenthe’s ambrosia sauce for burgers and fries
 
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Ingredients
full recipe:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise - use the real stuff, not miracle whip
  • ¼ cup mild green salsa - I actually used some of my leftover tomatillo sauce
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
half recipe:
  • ½ cup mayonnaise - use the real stuff, not miracle whip
  • 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) cup mild green salsa
  • 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) tomato sauce
Instructions
  1. Measure out your mayonnaise, green salsa and tomato sauce.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, green salsa and the tomato sauce until well combined. That's seriously it!
  3. Top this sauce on your favorite burger or use it to dip your fries or onion rings into.
3.5.3251

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Filed Under: burgers & patties, dinner, sauces Tagged With: burger toppings, condiments, sauces

Previous Post: « chicken enchiladas with tomatillo salsa
Next Post: peanut butter and chocolate rice crispy bars »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Courtney says

    September 12, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    The veggie patties is actually not homemade by them and is available at many whole foods and other similar stores. It’s Wildwood’s sprouTofu, original.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    May 1, 2013 at 2:02 am

    I saw this recipe on pinterest. We made it tonight to top our burgers and it was amazing! Kids loved it, hubby loved it. So much better than ketchup. I can’t wait to try your cilantro-lime mayo next. Thanks so much for the recipe. Btw, we made the half version and it was the perfect amount! Colleen

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      May 1, 2013 at 1:43 pm

      Hi Colleen! I’m psyched that you loved this sauce and yes, it’s so much better than ketchup. It just gives your burger that extra burst of flavor. I know you will love the cilantro lime mayo, it really has a nice kick to it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. jackiegrandy says

    May 1, 2013 at 1:28 am

    I know, I would have never thought to combine those three ingredients on my own. I don’t know that I have actually made this recipe without first trying it at the restaurant. I was sold after trying it, so I knew that it would be great in spite of the weird combination. I think the dipping of fries in tarter sauce is an all around the country thing. I like it as well 🙂 I hope you had fun at hula practice! Aloha girl!

    Reply
    • Sharon B. says

      May 1, 2013 at 5:28 pm

      Me too, if I saw this recipe just by itself I don’t think I would have thought to try it either! Practice was good, it always is. 🙂 Talk to you later, Aloha! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sharon B. says

    April 30, 2013 at 12:59 am

    Mmm! What an original sauce, I’ve not seen a recipe like this! I’ll have to try it. I love dipping my fries in tartar sauce. I don’t know if its a pacific NW thing or not, LOL! I’ll also have to remember this restaurant if we are ever in the Big Sur area. It’s been wayyyy too long since we’ve been there and I’d love to visit again. Hope you have a good evening! I have been running around so much, just home between stops for an hour and catching up on email, then running out again soon for hula practice. Talk to you soon. xoxo, Sharon

    Reply
  5. angela@ another bite please says

    April 29, 2013 at 7:11 pm

    this sauce sounds great..and i so agree ketchup is so boring. i love that you used your tomatillo sauce which that again sounds amazing. i would love to try that restaurant sometime…maybe i can convince hubby for a super duper long road trip. lol

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      May 1, 2013 at 1:25 am

      Hi Angela! Yes, it would be a super duper long road trip for you, but so worth it to go down the California coast. Gotta make use of those leftovers somehow, right? I know you’re all about that! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Nepenthe’s garbanzo and kidney bean salad | Marin Mama Cooks says:
    May 9, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    […] how they put it all in this cute little basket? I’ve already posted the recipe for their famous ambrosia sauce, which is the perfect sauce to slather on your favorite burger or a nice dipping sauce for your […]

    Reply

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Hi! Welcome to Marin mama cooks! My name is Jackie Reale! I'm a natural chef, creator and manifestor. I showcase healthy recipes for the everyday cook.About Me...

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