Leftover-Herb Chimichurri
Don’t lie, I know you’ve done this, I know it! You’ve gone to the grocery store or farmers market, seen a gorgeous bunch of herbs, and whether it was for a recipe you had planned or one you dreamed up in the moment, you bought the bunch and skipped off into the sunlight with confidence and joy. Then you get home, use maybe a third of the bunch, and accidentally let the rest wilt and darken in the refrigerator for the next 3 days.
Well, in the spirit of waste reduction, our #UseItUp challenge, and the endless quest for deliciousness, we present to you, the “leftover-herb chimichurri”. It’s really simple, if you have leftover leafy-herbs (parsley/basil/cilantro/oregano/mint/tarragon/etc, herbs like rosemary and thyme can be difficult to work into a chimichurri), you can mix them with some olive oil, garlic, onion/shallot, red wine vinegar, and salt, and you’ve got yourself a refrigerator stable flavor bomb to drizzle over any dish.
Chimichurri has roots that date back as early as the 1800s in Argentina and Uruguay. While historically loose in its exact definition/recipe, this sauce has served as a fresh, bright, and tangy accompaniment to grilled red meats (as well as fish and poultry) for centuries, and has been passed on through the generations. While we have decided to introduce this recipe as a DIY, choose-your-own-adventure style recipe in an effort to make an incredible sauce while reducing waste, it’s so important that we remember the roots of this sauce and respect those who have kept it alive. A variety of the herbs we have included as viable options may be delicious, but they’re certainly not traditional (for something more traditional, check out this recipe by Argentinian Chef Francis Mallmann).
Check it out.
Yield : 3 cups
Ingredients
1 cup of Leafy-Herbs: Finely chopped. Any leafy herbs! Any! Well not any. Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, and Bay Leaves are examples of herbs that are very tough and wont mix into an enjoyably-smooth sauce (at least not as easily). However, things like Parsley, Cilantro, Mint, Oregano, Dill, Tarragon, Chives, Fennel, Dill, and Basil will all work! Feel free to mix them together as well! We tested Cilantro+Parsley, Cilantro+Parsley+Oregano, Cilantro+Parsley+Mint, and Cilantro+Parsley+Mint+Oregano and they were all fantastic.
¾ Cup of Olive Oil
4 Cloves of Garlic: Finely minced. Base this on whatever size you assume the average piece of garlic to be. For example, I once only used 3 because they were huge.
1 Shallot or ½ Red Onion: Finely Diced.
½ Cup of Red Wine Vinegar: You can use other kinds of vinegar as well, this one just compliments herbs particularly well. You can also add citrus juice for additional acid and flavor.
1 tsp Salt: Kosher
Preparation:
Chop your herbs, garlic, shallot/red onion.
Add your herbs/garlic/shallot/red onion to a bowl with your olive oil, salt, and red wine vinegar, and mix well.
Done! Stir well before use (the herbs, vinegar, and oil will naturally separate over time).
Best Practices:
As always:
Avoid packaged produce, or really anything packaged for that matter. This is not to say that you’ll always have the option, but when you do, go for it! For example, you may sometimes see Herbs in small plastic containers, garlic in plastic mesh, or shallots in plastic wrap. These are all very often available sans any container, so take the opportunity to use your hands, smell the produce, build that relationship with your ingredients!
Try to bring your own bags when you go shopping for these ingredients
Make sure you’re not buying more than you think you’ll reasonably use! Ingredients like the herbs will not last very long, so make sure you buy with care! However, ingredients like garlic and shallots can last a long time in your pantry (but forever), so if you buy more than you need, you’ll likely have plenty of other opportunities to use them.
These ingredients have been chosen with several things in mind:
Most of these ingredients are household staples that are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. If you don’t already have shallots, red onion, garlic, olive oil, or red wine vinegar, these are amazing staples in any pantry and can add so much flavor to any number of recipes/dishes.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know! If you really loved it, share it on social media and tag us (@groundedgrub), or, better yet, share it with your friends and family!