Chimichurri is a flavor-filled dipping sauce that is wonderful on everything from pita bread to burgers. You can even use it as a marinade for chicken or beef. Luckily, chimichurri is not difficult to make. Below, you will find two recipes for this herbal dip — one that takes just a few minutes to make, and one that's a little more time-consuming.
Quick, Fresh Chimichurri
This recipe comes together in minutes and does not require any cooking. You can easily adjust the amounts of herbs and peppers to suit your taste.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 1 chili pepper, chopped finely
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, minced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
Place the herbs, garlic, and minced chile pepper in a medium bowl. Add the salt and vinegar, and then pour in the olive oil as you whisk. Keep whisking for about 30 seconds to blend the mixture well. Let the chimichurri sit for at least 30 minutes, as this will allow the flavors to merge and develop. If you can manage to do so, let the mixture sit for 4 hours in the fridge.
Roasted Pepper Chimichurri
This chimichurri takes longer to make since you have to roast the peppers and garlic, but the flavors are more complex and better-developed.
Ingredients:
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 serrano chile pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Slice the peppers in half, and remove the seeds and stems. Peel the garlic cloves. Place the garlic and peppers on the baking sheets, and drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast the garlic and peppers at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Let them cool, and then chop them up finely, using either a knife or a food processor.
Mix the roasted peppers and garlic with the fresh herbs, salt, and vinegar. Pour in the olive oil as you whisk. Let the chimichurri sit for the flavors to develop — leave it for at least 30 minutes, although four hours is better. Enjoy!
Whichever recipe you choose to make, your chimichurri should be enjoyable and packed with flavor.
To learn more about chimichurri dipping sauces, contact a specialty foods store.
