Call it the little black dress of the kitchen. Green herb sauce goes by many names in many cultures, but at the end of the day, it’s one of the most versatile sauces that will elevate even your most humble foods.

The Chanel of the green sauce world is the French sauce verte, traditionally flavored with parsley, chives, chervil, shallots, garlic, lemon, capers and anchovies. The Italian version salsa verde is very similar. When we venture down to South America, we find the Argentinian chimichurri and Latin American mojo and salsa verde versions, which are centered on cilantro, onion, lime juice and chile. Then venture east to Morocco and the Middle East and we find chermoula, a blend of cilantro, mint or parsley, garlic, spices, and chile.

The lesson is that there’s a reason nearly every major food culture has their own version of this sauce – it makes practically everything taste fantastic. Meats, veggies, pastas, you name it. And lucky for us, we can make it easily with a food processor (or a sharp knife) and just about any mix of green herbs, olive oil, briny flavors, spices, nuts and acid. Experiment with classic pairings or create your own. Just remember to taste as you go and use your judgment – these flavors are strong!

Green Herb Sauce

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients & Loose Proportions

Green Herbs: 1-2 cups, loosely packed

Parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, chervil, chives

Olive Oil: 3 Tbs. Add a splash of water if you need more liquid

Aromatics: 1-2 Tbs

Shallots, garlic, onion

Acid: 1 Tbs

Lemon, lime, orange, mustard

Briny Flavors (Optional): 2 Tbs

Capers, anchovies, green olives

Spices (Optional): 1 tsp or to taste

Cumin, paprika, coriander, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper

Nuts (Optional – creates texture and is great to pair with pasta or green beans): ½ cup

Sliced almonds, pine nuts

Just throw it all in a food processor or mince finely with a knife. Season with salt and pepper after tasting – the briny ingredients add a lot of salt on their own.