Salsa verde means "green sauce" in Italian and is a flavorful, green herb sauce. In addition to plenty of parsley and preferably also fresh basil, the sauce is made with garlic, mustard, white wine vinegar, capers, optionally anchovies, and good olive oil. The sauce is combined in a food processor and served cold.

In appearance, Salsa verde may resemble Pesto alla genovese, which is also green, but the flavors are completely different. Classic Pesto is based on basil and contains parmesan and nuts not found in Salsa verde, while Salsa verde is based on parsley and gets a slightly salty and tangy umami taste from capers, mustard, and anchovies.

Around Italy, you can find slightly different variations of salsa verde. Salsa verde toscana from the Tuscany region often also includes a hard-boiled egg mashed into the sauce, while the sauce is made with both hard-boiled egg yolk and some bread in Piedmont (Salsa verde piemontese or Bagnetto verde).

Salsa verde also means "green sauce" in Spanish, and the Italian sauce you have the recipe for here should not be confused with Mexican Salsa verde. Mexican Salsa verde is much spicier and is made with green tomatillos (which look like small, green tomatoes), fresh cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic, lime, and jalapeños (green chili).

See also the recipe for Chimichurri, a popular herb sauce from Argentina, made with fresh oregano, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, chili, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Italian Salsa verde is made without chili and is mild, yet full of flavor!

Particularly delicious as an accompaniment to grilled meat and chicken, fish, and boiled eggs.

Salsa verde is also served with roasted potatoes, vegetables, and as a dressing on salads. See, for example, Tomato salad with mozzarella and salsa verde.

Ingredients:

♥ 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
♥ 1 small bunch fresh basil
♥ 3 cloves garlic, pressed
♥ 1 tsp Dijon mustard
♥ 1 tsp white wine vinegar
♥ 1 tbsp capers
♥ 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
♥ 1 dl extra virgin olive oil
♥ ground salt 

Instructions:

Gather the ingredients.

Place the ingredients except for salt in a small food processor.

Blend the mixture to the desired consistency.

Season to taste with ground salt. 

Salsa verde - an Italian classic! 

Tips:

♥ Traditionally, there should be more flat-leaf parsley than basil in a Salsa verde, but the exact quantities of herbs are not very strict. I usually use a whole plant of flat-leaf parsley and half of basil (use the leaves and discard the tough stems). Salsa verde is best made with flat-leaf parsley, which gives a smoother consistency to the sauce than curly parsley, but taste-wise, it's also fine to use curly parsley.

♥ I don't usually do this, but you can rinse capers in cold water to slightly weaken their flavor.

♥ Don't be afraid to add anchovies. The anchovy fillets are finely minced and dissolve so that they are not noticeable in the sauce, but give the sauce a very good umami taste.

♥ If you're hesitant, however, just skip the anchovies. The sauce will still be delicious, but you'll need to add a bit more salt than with anchovies.

♥ Adjust the thickness of the sauce with the amount of olive oil. If you like a thinner sauce, just add a bit more oil.

♥ Feel free to multiply the recipe if you want to make a larger portion. Salsa verde is stored in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen in small ice cube bags.

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