6 Ways To Get Creative With Chimichurri Sauce

@zamaorganics

This sauce is probably the best topping for everything. A close relative of the pesto family, chimichurri sauce is a specialty of Argentina and Uruguay. It’s usually served alongside grilled steaks, pork sausages and roasted beef, but you can let your imagination run wild with how you use it.

The bold green sauce is made from parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil and either white or red wine vinegar. Depending on who’s making the chimichurri, other spices are often added like paprika, cumin, thyme, basil or cilantro. Some versions are so garlic-heavy you won’t want to go near people for a few hours, while others are mild. Here’s how you can make the most of your chimichurri.

1. Dressings

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Even though chimichurri resembles pesto, its ingredients make the Argentinian sauce slightly more versatile. The vinegar element of chimichurri makes it the perfect dressing. Since the sauce goes so well with steak, give this flank steak salad with chimichurri dressing a try. If you’re not into the steak part, you can just use it on any kind of salad. Toss it around with a bunch of chopped cherry tomatoes or add it to a grilled corn and avocado salad.

2. Grilled Vegetables

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Whether the chimichurri is store-bought or homemade, this sauce has everything you need for roasting or grilling vegetables. Toss a bunch of small potatoes with the chimichurri and roast them to golden brown perfection. You could also brush eggplant, zucchini, squash, carrots or asparagus with the sauce and then put the veggies right on the grill.

3. Pizza Topping

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Whenever you’d think to add pesto to pizza, add chimichurri instead. You’ll get a little tang from the vinegar while the oregano, garlic and parsley are already best friends with every type of pizza. This recipe by The Latin Kitchen combines kale with chimichurri, lemon, mozzarella, grape tomatoes and ricotta. You could also drizzle some on a Caprese pizza (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil) or a white pizza with chorizo and squash blossoms.

4. Garlic Bread

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Try chimichurri sauce instead of the usual butter, garlic, grated cheese and fresh parsley combo. The olive oil is a healthier alternative and it’ll taste just as indulgent. The vinegar, oregano and red pepper flakes add another dimension of spice and tang to your crusty French loaf or ciabatta. Brush on the chimichurri and toast the bread in the oven until the edges are golden brown. This is the perfect bread for a steak and fontina panini or cherry tomato and ricotta bruschetta.

5. Pasta Sauce

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Any pasta would work with chimichurri, whether it’s angel hair, farfalle (bow-tie), fettuccine or rigatoni. Orzo with tomato, zucchini and chimichurri is ideal for a healthy picnic and tastes just as good cold. You could also try mixing the sauce in with Israeli couscous, grilled shrimp, peppers, asparagus and mint.

6. Dips

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Why not mix the all-star topping into a dip? For a creamy recipe, mix the chimichurri in with goat cheese or yogurt and dunk some veggie crisps, sweet potato fries or crostini. For a healthier dip, add a dollop of the tangy sauce to any hummus recipe. The best part about chimichurri is that once you make a big batch, you can just use it as you need and kick all your recipes up a few notches.