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small white dish of herb sauce with spoon
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4.95 from 17 votes

Herb Sauce in 5 Minutes

This 5-minute fresh herb sauce is my go-to super versatile condiment. Herb-y, spicy as you like, zesty and garlic-y. Use it for anything that pairs with fresh herbs.
 
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Condiments, sauces and spreads
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Servings (change as needed): 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup/118 ml total))

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup herbs Note 1
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 green onions
  • zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon -1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for medium heat adjust to your taste
  • 6 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • MAKE HERBS SAUCE: Finely chop herbs and green onions. Stir together with other dressing ingredients except oil. Slowly whisk in oil. Alternatively (I do this): put all herb dressing ingredients in a processor and pulse to blend well. Or use an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Herbs: Use whatever herbs you like, have on hand and go with your recipe:
    • Tender herbs go well with shrimp and fish: fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, basil, tarragon.
    • More robust, woody herbs go well with meat, potatoes, tofu and chicken: thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano. Also chives, parsley and cilantro.
  2. Substitutes:
    • use lime juice instead of lemon juice or zest
    • try to use at least 1-2 fresh herbs for the recipe. If there is a particular herby flavor you're looking for and don't have that fresh herb, you can use a dried herb. The rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon dried for 3 teaspoons fresh.
    • substitute olive oil with vegetable oil
  3. Make Ahead: The herb sauce will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for about a week. The vibrant green color will fade a bit though. I find the color stays greener using lemon zest only without adding lemon juice.
 
Nutrition values are estimates for 1 tbsp/3 tsp/15 ml of herb sauce. 
Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg