Chimichurri Sauce is one of my favorite simple green sauces because it just pops with flavor. Seriously, you can put it on a shoe and it would be delicious.
It’s a flavorful, zesty uncooked herb sauce, so you can whip it up in minutes. It’s fantastic on all kinds of meats, fish (like this halibut recipe) and vegetables. So, basically, whenever you want a zingy pop of flavor to enhance your meal, drizzle it generously over your dish.
Chimichurri sauce is made with finely chopped parsley, shallots, oregano, lime juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil. I include cilantro in my recipe version because it adds an interesting citrusy note to the sauce. I know, some people abhor cilantro, so please feel free to leave it out if you don’t love it. Just add more parsley to compensate for the cilantro.
Fun Nerd Fact:
Some people really don’t like cilantro. They say it tastes like soap and there’s a reason for that. No, cilantro is not actually made of soap. It comes down to genetics!
Researchers of a genome-wide association study done by 23andme, found a DNA sequence variation on a cluster of olfactory receptor genes on chromosome 11. Among these olfactory receptor genes is OR6A2 which has a high binding specificity for several of the aldehydes that give cilantro its characteristic soapy odor. Aldehyde chemicals are present in soap and various detergents as well as in cilantro and coriander. This means that this variation in the OR6A2 gene in certain populations is a likely cause as to why some people enjoy the smell and taste of cilantro and coriander (the seeds of cilantro) while others are repulsed by it. Interesting!!
TLTN (too long, too nerdy):
Some of us have genes that enhance the sensitivity to the shared chemical compounds of both soap and cilantro causing the ick factor.
Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
- Immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup parsley, rinsed well and rough chopped *well packed
- 1/2 cup cilantro, rinsed well and rough chopped *well packed
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 small shallot, peeled and rough chopped (or red onion)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Add parsley, cilantro, oregano, red pepper flakes, shallot, red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt and olive oil to a bowl.
- Use the immersion blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth.
- Serve over steak, fish or veggies for a great pop of flavor.
