This recipe title should really be called “awesome sauce”. Or, “that green sauce Dana puts on literally everything.”
I’ve shared a mint-basil chimichurri on the blog before with my Purple Roasted Cauliflower, but I wanted to show you guys how incredibly versatile and easy this sauce is to make – and to add a crazy flavor punch to any savory meal. Plus, it’s autoimmune protocol friendly!
Chimichurri is a traditional Argentine sauce that’s normally served with steak, and it typically has parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar in it. But let’s be real, nobody has fresh parsley on hand all the time. So I decided to change it up, per usual. Plus, since the ingredients are so fresh and simple, it’s extremely easy to switch out certain herbs and vinegars based on whatever you have on hand, to create different flavor combinations.
So basically, here’s your sauce recipe: herbs (choose 1-2) + garlic + salt/pepper + vinegar + olive oil. Maybe add some lemon or lime juice if you’re feeling particularly citrus-y that day. Easy peasy, right?
Now for your seemingly endless flavor combos. You can use basil, parsley, oregano, mint and cilantro for the herbs, and I’ve used apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, and balsamic vinegar in different combinations. Heck, I even threw an avocado in there one time for extra creaminess, and some sun-dried tomatoes for some extra umami. You can adjust the level of oil to your taste, or even add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out. Test the waters and see what you like…but maybe follow the recipe at least the first time!
My kind of sauce. Throw everything in the food processor and let ‘er rip.
So without further adieu….awesome sauce!! Or, chimichurri. Keep scrolling down for serving ideas!
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ½ cup fresh oregano, parsley or cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp minced/dried)
- 2 Tbsp chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar for low histamine)
- ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste (AIP omit)
- optional: ½ avocado
- Pulse all the ingredients except avocado together in the food processor until well combined. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as you like. If using, add the ½ avocado and pulse until well incorporated.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The sauce will keep for a few days.
Here are some serving ideas for the chimichurri! Use it as a topping, dipping sauce, or marinade for:
Proteins like grilled chicken, burgers, ground turkey, steak, fish, or shrimp. Or one of my favorites, on eggs!
Roasted vegetables, my Roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potato fries. Maybe even use it as a pasta sauce on spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles!
You could even mix it with some coconut milk yogurt or homemade mayonnaise to make an aioli for a creamy, savory, herb-y dipping sauce. Enjoy!
