When I think of chimichurri sauce I usually think of grilled steak with a sauce that’s a cross between Mexican Salsa and Italian Vinaigrette. This little number is more of an earthy, herbaceous emulsion and it is perfect with grilled chicken or fish. A whole new world of chimichurri has opened up for me! And it’s so much more than just a sauce to drape over the main event, meat!
So where did this fun sounding name come from? Well the stories vary but seem to have a common yet unusual theme. Since I have an Irish heritage, we’re going to go with this one. An Irishman named Jimmy McCurry, sympathetic to their cause, was traveling with native troops in Argentina’s nineteenth-century struggle for independence. Jimmy McCurry is said to have been the first one to create the sauce, but his name, being a wee bit difficult for the locals to pronounce, morphed it into “chimichurri.”
No matter what the real story is, this version is as fun as the sauce itself! One you make it, you will be spreading it on crusty bread for sandwiches, using it along with mayonnaise to dress up leftover chicken or tossing it in a soup or stew for extra flavor. No matter how you use it, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Herbs, the bright green color of lush grass! It can’t get any fresher than to have the roots still intact!
Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.
Drizzle the olive oil into the feed tube of the food processor and mix until emulsified, about 1 minute.
This beautiful sauce is ready for drizzling over meats, blending with other ingredients to elevate them, a quick sandwich spread or add to soups and stews to enhance their flavors. It is green magic!
- 1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried oregano)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, add a little more until sauce is loose
- Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
- Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.
- Drizzle the olive oil into the feed tube of the food processor and mix until emulsified, about 1 minute.
- Great with grilled chicken, fish or meat. Try it as a spread for sandwiches or add it to shredded leftover chicken with mayonnaise and chopped celery for a tasty sandwich filling. Add it to soups and stews to enhance their flavors too!
