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British

Mint sauce

Vegetarian

Sharp, sweet British mint sauce: finely chopped fresh mint steeped in a little boiling water and sugar, then sharpened with malt vinegar. The essential partner for roast lamb.

Mint sauce is a British condiment from United Kingdom, ready in about 40 minutes and made with mint and malt vinegar. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
6
Level
Beginner
Calories
12

Ingredients

6 servings (about 1 tbsp each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Chop the mint (opens in a new tab) leaves very finely with the sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt; the grains help break the leaves down.

    Fresh herbs being chopped
    How it looks · Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Scrape into a bowl, pour over the boiling water and stir until the sugar (opens in a new tab) dissolves. Leave to cool for a few minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the vinegar and leave for 30 minutes to infuse. Taste and add more sugar (opens in a new tab) or vinegar to your liking.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
United Kingdom · Well documentedAlso popular in Ireland, New Zealand, AustraliaMore food from United Kingdom
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Sauces
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
herby, sour, sweet, refreshing
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Mint · Malt vinegar · Sugar
Techniques
Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom malt vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

12 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 20 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 7%
  • Carbohydrate 93%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy12 kcal62 kcal
Protein0.2 g0.8 g
Carbohydrate2.6 g13 g
Net carbohydrate2.3 g11.3 g
Sugars——
Added sugars2.1 g10.5 g
Fibre0.3 g1.7 g
Fat0 g0.2 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium28 mg140 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
30 mg
Calcium
11 mg
Iron
0.6 mg
Magnesium
4 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
10 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
5 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Malt vinegar: USDA SR Legacy has no malt vinegar; cider vinegar (FDC 173469) is a close stand-in for an unsweetened brewed vinegar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The boiling water sets the bright colour and softens the sharpness of the vinegar.

Common mistakes

  • Chopping the mint coarsely — it needs to be very fine to release its flavour into the vinegar.

Serve with

  • Roast leg of lamb
  • Lamb chops, mushy peas or new potatoes

Storage

  • Keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week; the colour darkens.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

  • Salt1 pinch · 0.4 g
Used in step 1

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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