Italian salsa verde is a raw green sauce made with chopped herbs, capers, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, and sometimes anchovies. Originally served with boiled meats in Northern Italy, it's now used as a bright, punchy condiment for steak, pork belly, lamb, and vegetables. No cooking or blender required. Anchovy optional. Vegan-friendly when omitted.
If you like chimichurri, you'll love this. Use it to dress steamed broccoli, spoon over sea bass crudo, or swirl through mashed potatoes.
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Ingredients
- Herbs - Only use fresh herbs. Basil, Parsley, and mint.
- Capers - Any size will do. We are blending it or chopping it.
- Anchovies - Good quality in oil. Leave out entirely for vegan.
- Lemon - Unwaxed lemons, as we'll use the zest.
- Olive oil - A mild, grassy green version. Not too bitter.
- Gherkins - Any will do. Lacto-fermented cucumbers, if available. Otherwise, jarred gherkins work fine.
- Mustard - I like grainy Dijon mustard, but feel free to use smooth Dijon mustard.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Prep herbs: Wash, dry, and strip from woody stems.
- Blender method: Roughly chop all ingredients. Blend with oil, mustard, lemon, and seasoning until smooth.
- By hand: Finely chop herbs, capers, anchovies, and gherkins. Mix with remaining ingredients.
- Adjust: Taste and balance acidity, salt, or oil to preference.
- Store: Refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze in small portions for 6 months.
Top tips
- Freeze salsa verde in ice cube trays for convenient defrosting when needed.
- If it's too thick, thin it out with a touch of water.
- Use mild olive oil or replace it with avocado oil.
- Best made fresh in spring or summer when herbs are at their peak.
Variations
- Herbs - Use cilantro instead of parsley, or mix the two.
- Spicy - Add chopped chili, Tabasco, or your own fermented hot sauce.
- Aromatics - Crushed seasonal garlic for those who like it.
- Vegan - To make vegan salsa verde, omit the anchovies, and it's good for spreading on all your favorite vegan dishes.
Serving suggestions
- Meats - Crispy pork belly on the fire, ribeye steak, baked chicken breast, or succulent fall-off-the-bone roasted leg of lamb.
- Fish - Salmon fillet, sea bass crudo, or with some home-salted salmon gravlax on a toasted piece of sourdough bread with cream cheese or soft ricotta.
- Vegetables - Makes vegetables like broccoli, steamed spinach, or bok choy extremely delicious. Add to creamy mashed potatoes, toss with baked baby potatoes, or use instead of tapenade on these roasted Romano peppers. Drizzle over this Moroccan zaalouk or mix through this couscous.
- Dips - Alongside other dips like guacamole or pea and mint hummus. Perfect to scoop up with crispy tacos or soft flour tortillas.
FAQ
Italian salsa verde is a cold green sauce made with chopped herbs, olive oil, garlic, capers, lemon zest, mustard, and sometimes anchovy. It's used to flavor grilled meats, fish, or vegetables.
No. While both are uncooked green sauces, Italian salsa verde is smoother and often includes capers, mustard, and anchovies. Chimichurri is chunkier, spicier, and typically includes red wine vinegar and chili.
Yes. Simply leave out the anchovies. The sauce will still have acidity from lemon and umami from capers and mustard. This makes it vegan-friendly.
No. You can finely chop everything by hand. Traditional salsa verde is hand-chopped for better texture and flavor.
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- 2 Ingredient homemade pasta dough
- Classic Caesar salad
- Parmesan shortbread
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Recipe
Italian Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 60 g (2 ½ cups) basil leaves
- 20 g (½ cups) parsley leaves
- 20 g (½ cups) mint leaves
- 20 g (2 ½ tablespoon) capers
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) cornichons
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) grain mustard
- 60 g (⅓ cups) olive oil
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) anchovy fillets
- 2 g (⅓ teaspoon) salt
- 1 g (½ teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- juice and zest of ½ a medium lemon
Instructions
- Prep herbs: Wash, dry, and strip from woody stems.
- Blender method: Roughly chop all ingredients. Blend with oil, mustard, lemon, and seasoning until smooth.
- By hand: Finely chop herbs, capers, anchovies, and gherkins. Mix with remaining ingredients.
- Adjust: Taste and balance acidity, salt, or oil to preference.
- Store: Refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze in small portions for 6 months.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate it: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Freeze for later: Portion into ice cube trays or small containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Fix the texture: Too thick from the fridge? Stir in a little water or lemon juice to bring it back to life.
- Switch up the herbs: Parsley is traditional, but basil, mint, or cilantro all work beautifully.
- Make it vegan: Skip the anchovies. Capers, mustard, and lemon still bring bold flavor.
- No blender? No problem: Just chop everything finely by hand for a more rustic result.
- Use fresh, in season: Best made in spring or summer when herbs are at their peak.
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