Sauce Verte

A Chilled Versatile Green Herb Sauce

May 4, 2009 Stuart Stein

It doesn't matter if you call it Sauce Verte, Salsa Verde, Grüne Soße or Green Sauce. This chilled herb sauce is easy to make, versatile, bright and refreshing.

Sauce Verte can be used as a marinade, a sauce, a condiment or even a topping for pasta or bruschetta. It's versatile enough to compliment grilled or barbecued beef, fish,chicken, vegetables or lamb; braised pork; or poached fish (traditionally salmon), shellfish or poultry.

This rustic yet complex sauce is the perfect balance of briny capers, salty anchovies, acidic lemon and intense herbaceousness. It's an all season sauce that can be adapted to a variety of cuisines by simply varying the dominate herb. Vary the tartness and acidity to balance what you are serving it with.

Sauce Verte Recipe:

  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves (Italian or curly variety)
  • 1 1/2 cups mixed herbs such as tarragon, basil, chives, summer savory, chervil marjoram or rocket, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovies, roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornichons (pickled sour gherkin cucumbers)
  • 1 shallot or small white onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons nonpareil capers drained
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

To Make the Sauce: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, herbs, garlic, anchovies, cornichons, shallot and capers. Pulse until chopped but not pureed. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. Add the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Advanced Preparations: The sauce will last several days if covered and refrigerated. Bring the sauce to room temperature and blend well before using.

Substitutions and Options: Almost any green herb can be added or substituted but almost always includes parsley. Some chefs will blanch and shock the herbs before blending to set the bright green color and make a more "pesto-like" condiment. I prefer to either chop all the ingredients by hand or use a mortal and pestle rather than a food processor. Made this way, the sauce will be more rustic but brighter in color and flavor.

Omit the anchovies for a purely vegan dish.

For a Piedmontese version (originally known as bagnet verd), add 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped. You may ned to balance the flavors witha pinch of sugar.

One French version of Sauce Verte is basically a mayonnaise flavored with chopped tarragon, watercress, spinach and lemon juice.

This version of Salsa Verde is not related to the Mexican tomatillo salsa of the same name. Mexican Salsa Verde is also extremely versatile and tasty and usually includes a combination of tomatillos, chiles, garlic, onion, and salt.

Makes approximately 2 cups

The copyright of the article Sauce Verte in Recipes is owned by Stuart Stein. Permission to republish Sauce Verte in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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