All-Purpose Green Sauce

By Melissa Clark

Published July 13, 2021

  • A white bowl filled with a slightly thick, light green sauce with flecks of herbs.
    Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(1,429)
Comments
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This tangy, creamy sauce is the perfect home for all those extra herbs you may have on hand from other recipes — that leftover sprig of mint, the stemmy part of that bunch of cilantro, the droopy basil. You can use any combination of soft herbs here; you’ll need two packed cups altogether. And you don’t have to limit yourself to herbs. Other flavorful, leafy options include arugula, celery leaves or pea shoots. For a vegan version, skip the yogurt and use more olive oil, along with a small squeeze of lemon for some acidity.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups

  • 1 packed cup basil leaves

  • ½ packed cup parsley leaves and tender stems

  • ½ packed cup chopped chives

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

  • Pinch of black pepper

  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

2 grams carbs; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 183 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 131 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place herbs, garlic and pepper in a food processor or blender, and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary.

  2. Step 2

    Add yogurt and purée until smooth. (This may take a minute or so; scrape down the sides of the container as needed.) With the motor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Pulse in lemon zest and salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.

  3. Step 3

    Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Spoon over grilled or roasted chicken, seafood (especially shrimp and salmon), sausages, steaks, lamb chops and vegetables. Use as a marinade for chicken, lamb or pork; as a dressing for starchy salads with beans, potatoes or grains, or for hearty vegetable salads, like those with cucumbers or blanched and sliced sugar snap peas or green beans. Serve as a dip for crudité or chips. Spread in roast beef, lamb or pork sandwiches.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,429 user ratings
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Comments

sandra

Used cilantro & lime zest, added a small chopped jalapeño to make a topping for grilled fish tacos - WOW! Ended up devouring the remainder of the batch with tortilla chips...

Johnny B Foode

I live in Germany, where this “green sauce” is made with local weeds. Has its own festival, contests, and is on every local menu. We typically eat it with boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, a schnitzel or roast beef. Just in case anyone wants to try finding our herbs, they are borage, chervil, cress, parsley, salad burnet, sorrel and chives. Amounts hardly matter as no two batches are ever the same. Hand chopping is tedious but gives it a better texture.

RoscoePound

Unless the garlic used is very fresh, start with one clove - otherwise it overpowers the herb flavors. I used parsley, basil and chives then added mint with zest (doubled) and salt (1/2 t) to cut the garlic intensity. Next time, I’ll use cilantro - kind of a creamy chimichurri sauce.

Randy Walther

Can I freeze?

Jan

Without the yogurt/sour cream, it's basically a pesto, so I would say you can freeze it and add the dairy after it's been defrosted.

Mollyo

This is almost exactly the same as Green Goddess dressing, but that has anchovies, lemon juice instead of zest, and mayo instead of just olive oil (of course you could use olive oil based mayo). Maybe that's why some are finding it underwhelming. Try some anchovies!

Becky

Has anyone tried freezing the sauce? Results?

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