Every region has its own way of making this flavorful green sauce, “salsa verde,” from the Romans to the Aztecs. This one is fast and is made without tomatillos, but it still packs a punch in your mouth.
Tips & Tricks
- If serrano peppers are too spicy for you, omit them entirely or use a jalapeno with the seeds removed. Serranos are skinny and longer than jalapenos and can be found near them.
- Use the stem and the leaves of the cilantro.
- The best leaves are small, fresh ones near the stem in parsley; pick off the leaves with other large ones (don’t worry if you get a little stem). You could also chop off the top and side leaves until you have enough to pack into a ½ dry measuring cup lightly.
- Always zest, then juice a lemon. It’s easier to zest a whole lemon, then cut it in half to juice it, then vice versa. A microplane is the best tool for quickly removing lemon zest.
- You can use champagne or white wine vinegar as an alternative to white distilled vinegar. I prefer to use olive oil or avocado oil for this sauce due to its health benefits.
Salsa Verde
Every region has its own way of making this flavorful green sauce, “salsa verde,” from the Romans to the Aztecs. This one is fast and is made without tomatillos, but it still packs a punch in your mouth.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories:
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup Italian parsley leaves packed lightly
- ½ cup cilantro packed lightly
- 1 serrano pepper top removed, split in half, quartered
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 6 fresh garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 4 dried bay leaves crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender add vinegar, parsley leaves, cilantro leaves, serrano pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, salt and black pepper. Pulse 3 times.
- While processor is running on low, slowly pour in olive oil. Salsa verde should be smooth, thick, spicy and captivating.
Notes
Tips & Tricks:
- If serrano peppers are too spicy for you, omit them entirely or use a jalapeno with the seeds removed. Serranos are skinny and longer than jalapenos and can be found near them.
- Use the stem and the leaves of the cilantro.
- The best leaves are small, fresh ones near the stem in parsley; pick off the leaves with other large ones (don’t worry if you get a little stem). You could also chop off the top and side leaves until you have enough to pack into a ½ dry measuring cup lightly.
- Always zest, then juice a lemon. It’s easier to zest a whole lemon, then cut it in half to juice it, then vice versa. A microplane is the best tool for quickly removing lemon zest.
- You can use champagne or white wine vinegar as an alternative to white distilled vinegar.
- I prefer to use olive oil or avocado oil for this sauce due to its health benefits.
