Nitrate & Nitrite Free Parsley & Garlic Herb Sauce
Bright, garlicky, and deeply herby, this olive oil–based sauce is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more alive. Fresh flat-leaf parsley and raw garlic form the backbone, sharpened with lemon juice and zest and given a subtle warmth from a touch of ground turmeric. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, finishing as a coarse, spoonable paste that clings beautifully to grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. Because every ingredient here is a whole, unprocessed food, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden preservatives — what you see in the bowl is exactly what you get. Packaged sauces and condiments are notorious for sneaking in additives, so making your own from scratch is genuinely the most reliable path to a clean, preservative-free result. Optional fresh basil adds another layer of fragrance if you have it on hand, but the sauce is completely satisfying without it. Make a jar on Sunday and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, loosely packed
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, turmeric, and basil (if using) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the herbs are finely chopped and the garlic is broken down, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the sauce comes together into a coarse, spoonable paste — it should hold its shape on a spoon but not be completely smooth.
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