Green Herb Sauce
If you’re looking to rescue wilted or unused herbs from the back of your fridge, or if you’re simply in need of a verdant sauce that will make anything it touches taste heavenly, look no further than the green herb sauce. So many cultures have an herb sauce in their culinary repertoire, and once you understand the basic framework of those sauces, you can riff on it endlessly. As a huge fan of off-the-cuff, pantry cooking, I usually don’t plan my herb sauces, but instead like to work with what I have on hand at the moment. That way, I know that I can make a delicious pesto using pumpkin seeds in place of pine nuts, and that I won’t ruin my salsa verde by adding in herbs other than parsley.
Green Herb Sauce
makes about 1 - 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch tender herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro, mint, dill, scallion, etc. or a mix, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup nuts or seeds like pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. (or omit nuts if making salsa verde/chimichurri)
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or white miso (optional)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
*see below herb sauce outline for more ingredient options
In a food processor, combine the herbs, garlic, nuts, oil, nutritional yeast/miso, if using, salt, and pepper to taste. Pulse a few times to get everything evenly chopped, then process until you have a chunky herb sauce. Add more oil or water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
Intuitive Cooking Takeaways
Below is a basic outline of herb sauce possibilities, but even these can be expanded upon.
Vegan pesto = basil (or parsley, or arugula) + nuts or seeds + garlic + olive oil + salt + optionally, nutritional yeast or miso
Italian salsa verde or chimichurri = parsley (can add cilantro, mint, scallion, dill) + garlic + olive oil + red wine vinegar + salt
Curry paste-ish = cilantro + scallion + garlic + shallot + chiles + ginger + curry spices + lime juice + optionally, miso
Creamy herb sauce = any tender herbs + nuts or seeds + garlic + yogurt + olive oil + salt + lemon or lime juice
Check out this article for more.