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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Vegan/Nut-Free
Skill Level: Beginner
Yield: About 3/4 cup of sauce
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment Needed:
The Recipe:
This recipe was adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, thickest part of stems removed and chopped
1-2 teaspoons oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Procedure:
Using a whisk, combine all ingredients together in a bowl.
Taste, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
Just before serving, re-whisk in case the olive oil has settled to the bottom.
Serve over grilled skirt steak, grilled pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, grilled fish or your favorite plant-based protein. I also like to dip crusty bread into my chimichurri as well. Your chimichurri will stay fresh in a covered container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
To Serve: Chimichurri is traditionally served over grilled meats such as skirt steak or pork tenderloin, however I think it would be great served over your favorite plant-based protein as well.
Tips:
A shallot is just a more delicate, subtle version of an onion; I love the little zing of the shallot in this recipe but you could substitute about 1/4 c. of minced red onion if you had that on hand.
Always rinse your herbs under cold water and pat dry with a tea towel or paper towels before using.
The stems of cilantro are fine to eat; I chop them right up with the leaves.
I personally think the stems of parsley are a bit woody/chewy, so I prefer to remove the thick stems. I think the very thin ones just below the leaves aren't bad so I don't work to get every last one of those.
Always use Italian flat leaf parsley; it has great flavor unlike it's curly buddy (that one really only belongs next to an omelet as a garnish...).
When chopping herbs, I usually just squish them up into a tight little pile, give it a chop chop chop and then keep repeating until they're minced.
If you're not a huge fan of spice, feel free to omit the crushed red pepper; your chimichurri will still be delicious.
Easily remove the oregano leaves from the stem by holding the top of the stem in one hand, pinching the stem with the pointer finger and thumb of your other hand, and sliding downwards (see photos below if that didn't make sense to you):
The Story:
Is there ANYTHING better than planting a bunch of herbs on your deck or in your backyard in the springtime?? Figuring out ways to use them is a close second for me :)
I was actually successful at wintering 4/5 herbs this year (RIP tarragon...), and oregano was one of them. Interestingly enough it actually thrived better indoors than out; I moved it out to the deck this spring and within a few weeks it started to look so sad that I moved it back in and apologized.
I love a good chimichurri; so fresh-tasting and SO easy to make. I'd tried a few different recipes for it in the past, but recently I sampled a friend's chimichurri and it had a little kick to it that I really enjoyed, so I decided to incorporate crushed red pepper into my chimichurri the next time I made it.
I loved the way this sauce turned out; we ate it on top of grilled pork tenderloin and it was such a lovely contrast to the pork. The herbs taste so fresh and the garlic and shallot bring such a nice little punch to the party. A perfect sauce to kick off the summer with.
Happy tasting!
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