Xipister Etxekoa Basque Sauce: the improved traditional recipe

I have a soft spot for sauces that smell of sunshine but are still simple to make. I really adopted Xipister Etxekoa Basque Sauce the day I wanted a "go-to" base for fried eggs and leftover roast chicken: a base of onions, caramelized peppers, tomato, a touch of chili... and everything becomes more vibrant on the plate.

What I love is the texture: it's not a soup or a smooth purée. You leave small pieces, reduce it gently, and you get a thick, glossy sauce that clings beautifully. The secret is to take the time to sweat the peppers without overcooking them, then let the tomatoes concentrate.

In terms of seasonality, it's a Basque recipe that naturally highlights peppers, tomatoes, and onions. And nutritionally, it's quite good: plenty of vegetables, vitamin C, carotenoids, and a flavorful sauce without needing to use a lot of butter.

You can easily adapt it to your liking: more or less spicy, more rustic (chopped with a knife) or smoother (quickly blended). And above all, it keeps very well: the next day, it's often even better, like many simmered dishes.

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Basque sauce Xipister Etxekoa

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: accompaniementKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Portions

4

people

Preparation

17

minutes

Cooking

35

minutes

Calories

137

kcal

Total time

52

minutes

A rich, red Basque sauce, mild and fragrant, where peppers and tomatoes melt together with onion and garlic. Perfect for topping poultry, eggs, fish, or potatoes.

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Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers (approx. 160g each)

• 1 large onion (approx. 160g each)

• 2 garlic cloves

• 350g of ripe tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (approx. 13g per tbsp)

• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (approx. 15g per tablespoon)

• 10 cl of dry white wine

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon of thyme (fresh, if possible)

• 1/2 teaspoon of Espelette pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika

• 1 teaspoon of sugar (approx. 4g per teaspoon)

• 1 teaspoon of fine salt (adjust as needed)

• Black pepper

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Preparation steps

• Prepare the vegetables: deseed the bell peppers and cut them into thin strips. Finely chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Blanch the tomatoes if you want a thinner sauce (30 seconds in boiling water, then peel off the skin), otherwise simply dice them.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and sweat it for 6 to 7 minutes: it should become translucent, not brown.
• Add the peppers. Stir, partially cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The idea is to gently soften them so they begin to caramelize.
• Add the garlic, sweet paprika and Espelette pepper. Stir for 30 seconds: just enough time to awaken the spices without burning them.
• Deglaze with the white wine. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon and let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, sugar, and a grind of pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the salt and chili pepper. For a thicker texture, mash some of the sauce with a spoon or blend for 5 seconds with an immersion blender (keeping some texture).
• Serve hot as a side dish, or let it cool slightly: the sauce holds up very well and reheats without any problem.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 230g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

Xipister Etxekoa Basque Sauce: 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or 2-3 months in the freezer. Reheat gently with a spoonful of water if needed.

💡 Chef's Tips

For a rich, red, and mild Basque sauce (Xipister Etxekoa), keep the heat low after adding the tomatoes and let it reduce significantly: it's the reduction that creates the texture. If the sauce seems too acidic, add a pinch of extra sugar rather than salt.

🔄 Variations

• Sauce with a smooth texture : blend the sauce completely at the end of cooking, then put it back on low heat for 2 minutes to thicken it.
• Spicier sauce : replace some of the Espelette pepper (typically Basque) in the recipe with a tiny pinch of chili powder (very little), then taste gradually.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.