This Green Sauce Makes Everything Better

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IN THIS VIDEO
Food processor: https://amzn.to/38L8Aub
Microplane: https://amzn.to/3HUwkD0
Citrus squeezer: https://amzn.to/4k30O32

🔪 MY KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

Knives: https://kankitchen.com/meet-the-knives/ (get $5 off using code “nisha”)
Large Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3spsW60
Vitamix professional-grade blender: https://amzn.to/406rabM
Vitamix 32-ounce container: https://amzn.to/3RbGRdw
All Clad stainless steel saucepan: https://amzn.to/3RsGJZx
Made In nonstick frying pan: https://madeincookware.pxf.io/yqQzev
Le Creuset Dutch oven: https://amzn.to/35SLfa6
Staub cast iron pan: https://amzn.to/3Y2etAk
Digital scale: https://amzn.to/48IXPZJ
Sheet pans: https://amzn.to/4d9NmbD
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🔑 KEY MOMENTS
00:00 Introduction
00:26 Making the Green Sauce
03:13 Make the sauce without a food processor
03:52 How to store & freeze the sauce
04:19 How to use the sauce in simple meals
06:00 How to use the sauce to bring together dinner

– This green sauce can
take any simple meal and make it taste gourmet. It takes just 10 minutes
to throw together, it’s great for meal prep, and I always keep some in my freezer for quick and easy dinners. By the end of this video, you’ll know exactly
how to make this sauce, whether or not you have a food processor, and you’ll also have tons of inspiration for using it in your weekly meals. So let’s get into it. The sauce we’re making today is my spin on Italian salsa verde, which is one of many
delicious green sauces you’ll find across the world. We’re gonna get started
with a bunch of parsley, which is very traditional
in Italian salsa verde. And you can use the tender stems, but you don’t wanna use
the bottom thicker stems ’cause those can be a little bitter. In addition to the parsley,
I’m also gonna use basil because it adds this incredibly unique citrusy, sweet, spicy flavor. It just takes everything over the top. And we’re gonna use equal amounts of the parsley and basil,
so two cups of each. [Uncomfortably deep inhale] Two garlic cloves. And now we’re just gonna pulse the garlic and the herbs a few times until everything is broken down. It smells so good. Now for a few fun flavor boosters. First up, we have sun-dried tomatoes. This is definitely the most beautiful sun-dried tomato I’ve ever seen. And we’re gonna use one ounce. Many traditional salsa
verde recipes use anchovies, but I don’t eat animal products, so I like using sun-dried tomatoes ’cause they add this rich,
developed savoriness, delicious umami flavor. So good. And a tablespoon and a half of capers. Capers are tangy, they’re
salty, they’re briny, so you get a lot of different flavor bases in one tiny ingredient. I love them so much. And from here, you’re just
gonna pulse 10 to 20 times until everything is finely minced. Oh, and as promised, if you don’t have a food processor, I will show you in just a minute how to do this without one. This is what it looks like. And from here, you’re just gonna scrape all of this herb paste into a bowl. And now just a few final ingredients. I told you this recipe was
super quick and simple. We’re going to zest one medium lemon, and it’s gonna add this lovely zippy floral citrus brightness. A half teaspoon of red pepper
flakes for a little kick. Half teaspoon of sea salt. And freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Now for the ingredient that
brings everything together, extra virgin olive oil. This is a time to use the good stuff because this is a raw sauce, and you will taste the
flavor of the olive oil. Now, if you’re making
this sauce in advance, you can just pop this into a jar, seal it, and stick it in the fridge. But if you’re gonna serve it now, you wanna squeeze in a
tablespoon of lemon juice, and that’s just going to
brighten everything up and perk up the flavors. Now from here, just season to taste
with salt or lemon juice, whatever you think it needs. A little more lemon juice and salt for me. As you can see, this is
a pretty thick sauce. So if you prefer a looser consistency, just add more olive oil. Or if you taste it and you feel like it’s a little too sharp
or pungent for you, more olive oil is the solution. If you don’t have a
food processor at home, you can still make the salsa verde, you just need a sharp knife. You wanna mince up your parsley and basil, as well as the garlic,
sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. Add those to a bowl like we did earlier, and finish with your lemon
zest, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Stream in your extra virgin olive oil and finish with lemon juice,
and you are ready to go. And then just store this
in a jar in your fridge for up to a week. Whichever method you use,
it’s gonna be delicious. The one by hand is
obviously a bit more rustic, it has some more texture, but flavor-wise, they are both delicious. Typically when I make this salsa verde, I will freeze half of it. And I like to do that in small increments, just use an ice cube tray. And I really like these
ones from Super Cubes because they have this lid on top, so your salsa verde is not
going to absorb any funky smells that might be lurking in your freezer. And then on a busy weeknight, I’ll just pop out a couple
cubes into a hot pan, they defrost super quickly. I’ll toss in some pasta
or some cooked beans, and dinner is ready in a flash. All right, I’ve shown you
how to make the salsa verde. Now I wanna share a
few of my favorite ways to incorporate it into weekly meals. And at the end of the video, I’ll share how you can
get a free PDF guide with all of today’s
recipes in printable form. The first way I like
to use this green sauce is to enhance meals that I
tend to make pretty often that are quite simple and can
use a little flavor boost. Most weekday mornings, I like to have scramble for breakfast. And since I’m vegan, I make tofu scramble. And a really fun way to mix
things up and add more flavor is to top it with some salsa verde. And for variety’s sake, so I don’t get tired of
eating the same thing. Now, one of my favorite things to do is to combine the salsa
verde with another condiment, ideally a creamy one, like
this whipped tofu ricotta, which I shared in a recent video. And I just spread the ricotta out onto some toasted whole wheat sourdough, add some beautiful sliced tomatoes. And this is really good on its own, but to mix things up, I’ll
add some salsa verde on top. Hummus is another condiment
that this is fun to pair with. And it’s something I like to do for a very quick meze platter
when I’m having friends over, but I haven’t had time
to really cook anything. I’ll put out some hummus and surround it with fresh cut veggies and olives and pita chips or crostini. And to make this feel a little
more special and homemade, I swirl some of this salsa
verde right into the hummus. Not bad. Another thing I like to do
when I have friends over, but not a lot of time to cook is to defrost some of
the salsa verde cubes and then just briefly pan
fry store-bought pita in it. It is irresistibly delicious
and it feels so fancy. That is so freaking good. The second way I like
to use the salsa verde is as the sauce that ties
an entire dinner together. And I think this is where
the sauce really shines because once you have it in your fridge, you can make these dinners
that are relatively quick and easy, but taste gourmet thanks to all the flavor in the sauce. A good example is this
white beans and greens dish that I’ve been making pretty frequently. You’ll start by sauteing
some aromatics and spices for a few minutes. I’ve got scallions,
garlic, and dried oregano. Add in a can of cannellini beans and toss around for about three minutes. And then a few handfuls of baby spinach for some green action. And once that wilts, which
will be pretty quick, you can add in a nice
amount of the salsa verde. That’s pretty much it. And I highly recommend topping it with some toasted panko
breadcrumbs for a nice crunch to contrast with the tender beans. (upbeat music) Yum. As you might imagine, this green sauce also
works great with pasta, and you can go in many
different directions, but my favorite version is this saucy leek and chickpea pasta. Start by sauteing a
few thinly sliced leeks over medium-high heat. Once those have softened and
are just starting to brown, you can go ahead and add in
some chopped garlic and thyme for a couple minutes or until your kitchen
smells absolutely amazing. And now pour in three
cups of vegetable broth. So the nice thing about this recipe is that the pasta’s gonna cook directly in this pan with the broth, so it’s a lovely one-pot meal. In goes eight ounces of pasta
plus two cans of chickpeas. So this is gonna be nice
and hearty, lots of fiber. And you’ll simmer this gently, covered until the pasta is al dente. And then off the heat, you can simmer for another 10 minutes while the pan is still covered. Finish this with a generous
amount of the salsa verde plus a little nutritional
yeast and lemon juice for a really good saucy pasta situation. That’s delicious. I’ve included the recipe
for the salsa verde as well as all of the other
recipes in today’s video in a free PDF guide. It’s linked in the description box below, or you can scan this QR code. Or if you have my cookbook,
“Big Vegan Flavor,” you can find the salsa
verde recipe on page 181. Thanks so much for watching. Bye.