Basil Chimichurri

Basil and parsley are pulsed together to make basil chimichurri - a delicious multipurpose spread, marinade, and dip. Slather it on grilled corn or toss with roasted potatoes for an herbaceous punch of flavor!

I love chimichurri sauce and I want to bury my face into the garden of basil we grow. It smells incredible and the leaves have the most beautiful look to them. It only made sense to combine the two and then put the sauce on every vegetable and or meat I could get my hands on (which happened to be corn!).

It's super simple to whip up.

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What is Chimichurri sauce?

Chimichurri sauce is traditionally from Argentina and made with flat leaf parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and oregano. It has multiple uses including as a condiment, a dressing, a spread, a marinade, and a dip. It's bright green color and herb laden flavor will transform almost any dish it touches.

There are quite a few varieties of chimichurri and I prefer to make mine with lemon juice in place of red wine vinegar. Some will contain cilantro or oregano and some won't. The variations and ratios are endless and the results incredible.

It's a bright, fresh sauce that is any herb lover's dream!

What's in basil chimichurri?

My garden is rife with basil. We grow opal basil, lime basil, and the more commonly used sweet basil. This is easily becoming one of my favorite ways to use it up.

Here's what you need:

• Flat leaf parsley
• Sweet basil
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

How do I make it?

Place the parsley, sweet basil, garlic and lemon in a small food processor. Pulse it a few times to mince it up.

With the food processor running drizzle four tablespoons or ¼ cup of olive oil into the food processor.

Continue to blend until you achieve the consistency you want. I pulse mine quite a bit because I like it to be emulsified and more smooth than chunky. If you prefer it to be chunky then don't pulse it as long.

You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula a few times.

Tips & Substitutions

• Season to taste. Add a pinch of kosher salt and then taste it before you remove it from the food processor. If it needs more than add a little more until it's perfect.
• This recipe is keto friendly and paleo plus it's perfect for grilled meat!
• Drizzle onto grilled chicken, steak, fish, or shrimp. You can also toss it with roasted potatoes, slather it on corn, or use it for a spread on a sandwich.
• While this recipe is high in oil which makes it high in fat it's rich in heart healthy fats as well as Vitamin K and Vitamin A from the parsley and basil. Oftentimes delicious sauces are very bad for you (good for the soul though, amiright???) but basil chimichurri is incredibly good for you! Just icing on the cake.

Other Herbaceous Recipes You Might Love

• Chimichurri Steak Bowl
• Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herb Sour Cream
• Herby Quinoa Salad with Avocado and Chickpeas
• Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Lemon Basil Sauce