Are you looking for an easy condiment to dress up any weeknight meal? Whether you are looking to add a little pizazz to your next sandwich, spice up grilled chicken or use it as a centerpiece for crudités, Italian salsa verde (sometimes called green sauce) is the perfect fit.
Italian salsa verde comes together in literally 10 minutes and adds a ton of extra flavor to any basic recipe.
Here in Tuscany where I live, we eat a lot of simple dishes like grilled meats and seasonal vegetables. The winning ticket that brings these foods to the next level? Italian salsa verde!
In this article, learn to make Italian salsa verde the original way – how we do here in Italy. This recipe is based on recipes of my Italian friends and family, adapted to my own liking.
I will also share how to use Italian salsa verde in the kitchen, what recipes and foods it pairs best with and how to store it.
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How To Pronounce Italian Salsa Verde
Green sauce in Italian is called salsa verde and is pronounced sahl-sah vehr-deh in Italian.
Listen to the pronunciation of salsa verde:
What Is Italian Salsa Verde?
Italian salsa verde is a condiment made throughout Italy using parsley, extra virgin olive oil, anchovies, capers and some form of acid.
Italian salsa verde recipes differ depending on where you are in Italy, changing slightly from region to region and family to family. Many recipes call for a bit of stale bread, pickles, or a hard boiled egg. If these variations interest you, check out my recipe for Tuscan salsa verde.
The consistency also changes with Italian salsa verde, depending on what your intent is. For sandwiches, Italian salsa verde is better when it’s a bit thicker but with grilled or boiled meats and vegetables, I prefer it a bit thinner, which is easily accomplished by adding a bit more olive oil.
Fact: Salsa verde toscana (from Tuscany) is characterized by the use of lemon and a hard boiled egg.
Making Italian Salsa Verde
Making Italian salsa verde is very straightforward and easy. Some like it runny and smooth, others prefer it more roughly chopped and ‘pulsed’ together into a paste, more similar to gremolata. I prefer it smooth and creamy, which I achieve using an immersion blender.
For a more runny Italian salsa verde, use slightly more olive oil, adding just a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
If I want to add Italian salsa verde to sandwiches or serve it with raw vegetables as a dip, I will just use ½ cup of olive oil to create a mayonnaise-like consistency, perfect for dipping.
Italian Salsa Verde Ingredients
Flat Leaf Parsley
Use 3.5 oz flat leaf Italian parsley (100 g), which is roughly 1 big bunch, cleaned and stalks removed. Don’t substitute curly parsley as it won’t create a silky sauce. You can absolutely use frozen parsley to make Italian salsa verde, if that is what you have.
Anchovies
Don’t be afraid of anchovies! You won’t even know they are in it once it’s all blended together. You will need 2 anchovies.
Capers
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of capers to your Italian salsa verde that has been rinsed and drained of the brine.
Other Ingredients for Italian Salsa Verde
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
Selecting Olive Oil: If you don’t have a preference consider my favorite brands:
15 Best Italian Olive Oils – To Enjoy in Italy & Bring Home as a Souvenir
Best Italian Olive Oil Brands in America – Where to Buy Them and How to Store Them
How To Make Italian Salsa Verde (Green Sauce)
Remove the large stalks from the parsley and peel the garlic. Drain and capers and rinse them.
Blend the parsley, anchovies, garlic, capers, vinegar and a bit of the oil together either with a food processor or with an immersion blender until well combined.
Slowly drizzle in the remaining extra virgin olive oil while continuing to blend. Hold back a bit of the olive oil at first and add until desired consistency is achieved. Add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, for a more runny consistency.
Test for salt and season. The amount of salt you add will depend on the capers and anchovies you used (some brands are saltier than others).
Tip: Use a little less olive oil for a mayonnaise consistency. Drizzle in more olive oil for a runnier sauce that can easily be spooned onto grilled meats.
Italian Salsa Verde Variations And Substitutions
Can I use olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil for salsa verde?
Yes, you absolutely can. Just use the best quality that is affordable and accessible to you.
Here are some of the most common variations you will find throughout Italy:
- Use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil if that is what you have. It will be delicious!
- Add 8-10 basil leaves along with the parsley
- Add 1 small gherkin pickle with the capers and anchovies
- Use 2 garlic cloves instead of 1 for real garlic lovers
- Add the zest of 1 lemon
- Replace the white vinegar with red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- To make vegan Italian salsa verde, omit the anchovies and double the capers, if you like. If not, leave them out completely.
Keep In Mind: Making any of these variations and adjustments to Italian salsa verde will change the fluidity of your sauce. Just adjust with more or less olive oil, depending on how thick or runny you prefer your salsa verde.
Notes and Tips For Making Italian Salsa Verde
- The more you make Italian salsa verde, the more you will find your ideal consistency and your preference.
- You can make Italian salsa verde ahead of time, as long as you keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge 24 hours before serving.
- Italian salsa verde is a recipe that can be doubled or tripled easily and frozen in small batches for later use. Freeze in small bags, containers or even in ice cube trays.
- To keep salsa verde from turning brown and oxidizing and changing color, make sure you cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it down directly on top of the salsa verde.
How To Serve Italian Salsa Verde
Italian salsa verde is made throughout Italy but here in Tuscany we like to eat it with meat. It holds up particularly well to warm weather, making it one of the best condiments to bring to a picnic.
Here are my favorite dishes and foods to serve Italian salsa verde with but don’t limit yourself to these suggestions:
- Bollito – slow ‘boiled’ beef and vegetables
- Panini – sandwiches
- Roasted or boiled potatoes
- Polenta
- Panino al lampredotto – lampredotto sandwich (Tuscany)
- Crostini – spread on small rounds of toasted bread
- Grilled vegetables
- Lampredotto – stewed cow’s stomach
- Whole cooked fish or fish fillets
- Grilled shrimp, octopus or squid
- Raw vegetables for dipping such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, and artichokes.
How To Store Salsa Verde
Italian salsa verde or green sauce can be kept in an airtight container with a thin layer of oil on top to prevent it from oxidizing in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
Keeping Italian Salsa Verde Green
The best way to keep Italian salsa verde green is to cover it with plastic wrap, being sure the plastic wrap touches the top of the sauce to keep it as seeled as possible from oxygen. If you simply put the Italian salsa verde in a container, the oxygen trapped in the container will start to discolor the green sauce and turn it brown or black (this won’t hurt you but it’s not as nice looking).
Italian Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz Italian flat leaf parsley, cleaned and stalks removed (100 g, about 1 bunch)
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 heaping Tbsp capers drained and rinsed
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
Instructions
- Remove the large stalks from the parsley and peel the garlic. Drain and capers and rinse them.
- Blend the parsley, anchovies, garlic, capers, vinegar and a bit of the oil together either with a food processor or with an immersion blender until well combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the remaining extra virgin olive oil while continuing to blend. Hold back a bit of the olive oil at first and add until desired consistency is achieved. Add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, for a more runny consistency. Use a little less olive oil for a mayonnaise consistency. Drizzle in more olive oil for a runnier sauce that can easily be spooned onto grilled meats.
- Test for salt and season. The amount of salt you add will depend on the capers and anchovies you used (some brands are saltier than others).
Notes
- The more you make Italian salsa verde, the more you will find your ideal consistency and your preference.
- You can make Italian salsa verde ahead of time, as long as you keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge 24 hours before serving.
- Italian salsa verde is a recipe that can be doubled or tripled easily and frozen in small batches for later use. Freeze in small bags, containers or even in ice cube trays.
- To keep salsa verde from turning brown and oxidizing and changing color, make sure you cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it down directly on top of the salsa verde.
