This green sauce is a ‘by memory’ recipe. I’ve never put it down on paper, not even on one of those loose sheets that abound in every corner of my kitchen. It’s a recipe I always make by eye – or rather, by feeling 😊 – and it’s never the same, changing every time based on the availability of ingredients at home, in the freezer, or on the balcony. And for some reason, these are always the best recipes. And the ones I enjoy the most!
I always make green sauce on Christmas Day; by now, it’s one of the essential classic Christmas recipes. For Christmas lunch, my mom takes care of the ‘serious’ things like cappelletti, broth, roasts, and so the ‘accessory’ recipes are my responsibility. And the green sauce is among these accessory-fundamental recipes. 😊
But throughout the year, for me, it’s not necessary to have boiled meat available to make green sauce: we also like it just eaten with bread.
And then, who said it can’t be used on seitan? Or tofu? In fact, it’s excellent as a marinade for tofu! If you’ve never tried it, try it now!
☝ In this recipe, I won’t be precise with the dosages. In the ingredient list, I’ll list all the ingredients I use for my standard green sauce, dividing them into two groups: those that are never missing and those that are optional, meaning that I sometimes use them and sometimes don’t, depending on availability. But in any case, it always turns out great, my word. 😊
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If you’re looking for other sauces, take a look at these! 👇
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: to taste
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- parsley
- basil
- garlic
- capers
- green olives
- almonds (or pine nuts)
- extra virgin olive oil
- water
- marjoram
- sage
- oregano
- pickled gherkins
- walnuts
- sunflower seeds
- tuna
- chili pepper (or pepper)
Tools
- Food Chopper
Steps
👉 First, rinse the brined ingredients, such as olives, capers, and gherkins, to remove excess salt. If using salt-packed capers, desalinate them by soaking them in water for at least 10 minutes.
Place the ingredients in the chopper’s container and blend until you reach the desired consistency.
The amount of oil depends on the consistency we want to give the sauce, and it also depends on how many almonds or walnuts or pine nuts or sunflower seeds were used.
In fact, the seeds serve to make the sauce thicker, so the amount of oil should be adjusted accordingly.
In the absence of seeds, or in addition to them, you can use a small amount of tuna: it thickens the sauce without altering its flavor.
Dietary information: to make a lower-calorie sauce, you can use the ‘trick’ of water.
As I already explained in my pesto recipe, adding water instead of oil is a trick that can be used to reduce the overall amount of oil and thus make the sauce lighter. If measured well, any water present in the sauce will not be noticeable, and your green sauce will be excellent even in a light version, making a great impression on your dishes. Trust me, light sauces are just as good. 😉
Salt-Free Tips
As you know, I cook without added salt. Therefore, for our habits, the presence of capers and olives is more than enough to flavor our sauce. For those not used to low-sodium cooking, or for those in transition, you can add a bit of chili pepper, which helps a lot to ‘trick’ the taste buds. 😉 A slight spicy note can pair well with boiled meats and can pair well with tofu when you want to use this sauce to marinate it.
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
◻ Decrease salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
◻ Use spices. Chili pepper, black pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
◻ Use herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
◻ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
◻ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
◻ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio
◻ Prefer fresh foods.
◻ Avoid boiling, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (griddle, foil, steam, microwave)
◻ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
◻ Allow yourself an exception sometimes. It’s good for the mood and helps in persistence.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
◻ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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As always, find me on my Facebook page, on my Pinterest boards, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter.
