Chimichurri sauce – green goodness

Chimichurri sauce is the perfect accompaniment to many a meal. It’s something we love to have with roast chicken and slow cooked meats mostly. However, I’d never say no to a big dollop of it on my vegetables either.

Chimichurri’s origins lie in the countryside of Argentina and Uruguay. There are both a green and a red variety, but the green has always been my favourite. The traditional recipe does not call for the use of coriander (cilantro), and only uses parsley. I love the pungent, citrusy flavour that coriander adds, so included it here.

Coriander (cilantro) has to be one of the most divisive herbs I know. People love it or they hate it, there really is no in-between. In fact, it’s so despised by some, it sparked a science-based debate.

Research done on it to date suggests this may be the cause of genetics. Apparently, some of us think it tastes like soap while others love it and that could be hereditary. Fascinating. Even more so – the finding that it may be more palatable to those who dislike it when blended.

How to make chimichurri sauce

This recipe can be made right before it’s needed or a few days ahead. If making ahead, I recommend letting it sit out of the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

There are just four steps here, which are:

STEP ONE – Prep your ingredients

Wash and dry herbs, peel the garlic and measure everything else out. Having your ingredients ready makes the blending a breeze.

STEP TWO – Add herbs, chilli and garlic to your food processor. Now whizz until well chopped (if you have a Thermomix, this was speed 7 for 3 seconds).

STEP THREE – Add the apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper and blend again to combine (Thermomix speed 6, 2 seconds).

STEP FOUR – Scrape down the sides of the blender then put it on a medium speed and slowly add in the olive oil. Leave to blend for about one minute (Thermomix speed 3).

I have the herbs I need for this growing out in my herb garden. I had the coriander and parsley fresh, which I just chopped off. I get an abundance of oregano all the time too, so dried some of my own earlier in the year. The flavour of garden to table herbs is amazing!

Don’t have a herb garden at home yet? You can make your own and have all the herbs you need for this recipe too. Take a look at my post on how to DIY a vertical herb garden. It’s super simple and there’s nothing quite like homegrown.

Let me know how you enjoy your chimichurri sauce in the comments. I’m always open to new ideas!