Pesto, Chimichurri, Salsa Verde, Zhoug, and Chermoula are all forms of green sauce.  My cookbook includes recipes for pesto, zhoug, and salsa verde.  But you don’t really need a precise recipe for each of these green sauces.  Ever adaptable, you can use what you have on hand to make something tasty to top a grilled steak, fish or chicken, dress up roasted veggies or eggs.  Slather some on a sandwich or burger to add some yummy deliciousness or make a scrumptious plate of pasta.  Brighten up leftover soup or beans with a spoonful of green sauce or use it as a marinade or salad dressing.  Green sauce is the perfect thing to keep in the refrigerator to perk up those standard recipes you might be getting bored with. 

The basic formula for a green sauce includes tender herbs or greens, aromatics, something salty, something spicy, acid, and olive oil.  The amounts are not precise.  You might have a cup or two or greens, or a bunch and it could be one herb or a combination.   Throw it in the food processor with some garlic or shallots.  For spiciness, fresh chilies, cayenne, or red pepper flakes.  Start with a fourth of a cup of olive oil and adjust at the end to make it as thin as you want.  Add a tablespoon of acid at first, then increase to taste. Pulse it, taste it, and adjust it to your liking.  Keep tasting it as you go and add small amounts of ingredients including some salt until it tastes good to you.  Throw in some pecorino, feta or Parmigiano cheese for both a fatty and salty element.  Voila!!  Green sauce.  Remember, there are no green sauce rules – only what tastes good to you.

Not ready to improvise your own green sauce?  I have included a recipe for Chimichurri or check out the recipes for Pesto, Salsa Verde, and Zhoug in the Mama, how do you make… cookbook.