Salsa Verde

Name: Salsa Verde
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, about 60 g, leaves only; 15 g (½ cup loosely packed) mint leaves; 15 g (½ cup loosely packed) basil leaves, optional; 2 tbsp capers, rinsed; 4 anchovy fillets in oil; 1 clove garlic; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pinch fine sea salt, to taste

Italy's sharp green sauce of herbs, capers and anchovy

Makes: about 250 ml (1 cup)
Hands-on: 15 min
Total: 15 min
Level: Easy

A chopped sauce of parsley, mint, capers, anchovy and olive oil, salsa verde wakes up boiled meats, grilled fish, roast lamb and potatoes. Chopping by hand keeps it bright and textured rather than a purée.

Ingredients

1 bunchflat-leaf parsleyabout 60 g, leaves only
15 gmint leaves (½ cup loosely packed)
15 gbasil leaves (½ cup loosely packed)optional
2 tbspcapersrinsed
4anchovy fillets in oil
1 clovegarlic
1 tspDijon mustard
1 tbspred wine vinegar
1 tbsplemon juice
120 mlextra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)
1 pinchfine sea saltto taste

Diet: Pescatarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: fish, mustard, sulphites
Origin: Italy
Season: Spring, Summer

Method

Pile the parsley, mint and basil on a board and chop finely, but stop before it turns into a paste.
Chop the capers, anchovies and garlic together until fine, then mix them into the herbs on the board.
Scrape everything into a bowl and stir in the mustard, vinegar and lemon juice.
Stir in the olive oil until the sauce is loose and spoonable.
Taste and add salt only if needed; the anchovy and capers are salty. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Why it works

A sharp knife slices herb cells cleanly, so they release less of the enzymes that turn chopped herbs brown and bitter; a blender bruises them. Anchovy provides deep savoriness without tasting fishy, and capers and vinegar bring acid that cuts through rich, fatty foods.

Common mistakes

Using a blender at full speed: the sauce turns dark and muddy. Pulse briefly if you must.
Salting before tasting: anchovy and capers often provide all the salt you need.

Variations

Vegan: Leave out the anchovy and add 1 extra tbsp capers and 1 tsp lemon zest.
With egg: Fold in 1 finely chopped hard-boiled egg (Boiled Eggs) for a richer, northern-Italian style.