I first discovered chimichurri sauce in a little Brazilian restaurant on Capital Hill (Seattle) about 15 years ago. It is a delightfully flavorful sauce made with cilantro and parsley that is generally served with red meat. I forgot about this sauce for quite a few years until a local restaurant in the next town over opened. They have a steak dish with a delicious chimichurri. This coupled with my discovery that we should be eating foods with chlorophyll to prevent cancer risk while eating red meat (go here to learn more), made me decide that I should start making my own chimichurri sauce. Here is my version. Top your grass-fed and finished flat iron steak with it, dip homemade fries in it, or use it any other way that seems right to you!
Chimichurri Sauce Nutrition:
- Cilantro: is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, E, K, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. It contains chlorophyll (go here to find out why this is important). Cilantro can help rid the body of heavy metals and can bring down blood sugar levels in addition to many other important benefits. Dr. Axe has a great post on the benefits of cilantro.
- Parsley: an excellent of vitamin K and vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin A, folate and iron. Not only does it contain the all important chlorophyll discussed here, it also contains the flavonoids apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol and luteolin. It also contains important minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
- Garlic: antiviral, antibacterial, and anti_fungal. Great for immune support!
- Cumin: a digestion boosting spice
- Raw red wine vinegar(with the “mother”): contains acetic acid and polyphenols. Can aid digestion.
- Lemon Juice: Vitamin C, potassium, and B-6
- Olive Oil: one of the “good” fats. Monounsaturated and delicious.
To make Chimichurri sauce, you will need:
- 2 cups cilantro, packed
- 2 cups parsley leaves, packed
- 7 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup raw red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Directions for chimichurri sauce:
Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of your food processor. Process until fairly smooth. Drizzle the olive oil in while the processor is running. Once combined, allow the flavors to meld for at least an hour or so. Enjoy! I like to top my steaks with it and dip roasted veggies into it. Try this recipe for Grass-fed Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce.
Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups cilantro packed
- 2 cups parsley leaves packed
- 7 cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the bowl of your food processor. Process until fairly smooth. Drizzle the olive oil in while the processor is running. Once combined, allow the flavors to meld for at least an hour or so. Enjoy!
I absolutely love cilantro! How have I not made chimichurri sauce yet?! Thank you for inspiring me to do so! It looks delicious and super easy to make!
I don’t know if I have ever had chimichurri sauce, but oh boy it sounds yummy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Do you know why you add the olive oil later/while the food processor is running? I typically don’t follow directions like that because I’m a lazy cook lol so now I’m wondering what difference it could make!
Hi Emily!
This step is to emulsify the sauce so that it stays together (kind of like when you make mayo). I totally get eliminating steps if they aren’t useful! If you eliminate this step, your sauce will separate, but it will still be delicious. Just put it in a container that you can shake and pour it out and you should be fine.
Chelsea
I still have never had chimichuri sauce, but now that I know it’s mostly cilantro, it sounds like a delicious marinade!!
I have never heard the name Chimichurri but I bet it must be delicious! I love all the ingredients in it and it looks fresh and light as well. On my list..
I had no idea that chimichurri sauce has cilantro which helps lower blood sugar levels. My dad suffers from blood sugar problems. He loves trying authentic food from other countries so I’ll get him some Chimichurri sauce so he can try it and hopefully help him lower his blood sugar a little.