Easy Mint Sauce

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4.91 from 20 votes

Mint sauce is the classic British accompaniment to roast lamb. Fresh and vibrant, sharp and sweet, homemade mint sauce is the easiest of recipes and will give your Sunday lunch a real lift.

Servings: people

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Resting Time1

Total Time5

Ingredients

1 handful fresh mint - note 1
1 ½ tbsp sugar - note 2
3 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar - note 3

Instructions

Strip the mint leaves from the stalks. Keep the leaves and discard the stalks.
1 handful fresh mint
Place the mint leaves on a chopping board. Add the sugar. Chop with a knife until all the mint is cut into small pieces.
1 ½ tbsp sugar
Transfer the mint and sugar mixture to a small bowl. Add the boiling water, and mix together, using the handle of a wooden spoon to give the mint a gentle pound to extract the flavour.
3 tbsp boiling water
Add the vinegar and mix together. Leave to stand for an hour to allow the flavours to blend.
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Notes

Ingredients

Mint - use a regular garden mint, not peppermint or any of the flavoured varieties. You must use fresh mint not dried.
Sugar - I use plain white granulated sugar. You can use caster sugar, but everyday sugar is just fine.
White Wine Vinegar - I usually use white wine vinegar, because it is sharp enough to stand out against the sugar, but not too astringent. I prefer a white vinegar as it doesn’t make your mint sauce a murky colour (You can also use a cider vinegar). Malt vinegar is just too strong and sharp and will overpower the flavour of the mint. Some people like to give an Italian note and add a splash of balsamic, but I’m not convinced.

Hints & Tips

Chop the mint finely, but do not puree it. You need to chop by hand and not use a food processor or mini chopper.
The recipe will not work with dried mint.
Give that mint a good pounding to extract the flavour.
Make your sauce a good hour in advance, to allow the flavours to develop and serve at room temperature.

Storage

This mint sauce is so much better made the day you are going to eat it. It is so quick and easy to make that I do not find it a hardship.

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a day or so and are delicious on cold lamb, or as a base for a salad dressing.

I do not recommend freezing.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.