Leftover Wilted Greens? Make Your Own Version Of A Green Sauce

Fresh herbs are a great ingredient to have on hand, and they can add a new dimension to an array of dishes, from pasta to tacos. The only problem with keeping them is that even if you follow all the rules for storing fresh herbs correctly, they will still likely go bad or start wilting in one to two weeks. That means that when you are at the end of your groceries, either you've finished your herbs or they are starting to spoil. If you have the latter problem, a great way to use up all the leftover wilting greens in your fridge is to make a green sauce.

What is green sauce? Any manner of delicious-tasting condiment that is generally green in color. Many cuisines feature some variation of vegetal green sauce, from Peru's aji verde to Italy's pesto. These viridescent concoctions commonly begin with all kinds of herbs and greens; they incorporate fats, including oils and dairy products, plus salty elements (kosher salt, sure, but also things like capers and anchovies). They also benefit from the punch of acidic ingredients — a squeeze of citrus, a dash of vinegar. Best of all, because they use up leftover ingredients from your fridge, making green sauce can help save you money and prevent waste. So, how do you do it?

The best thing about green sauce is that it is made with whatever you have in your fridge and with whatever flavors you want to use. It's really up to you! One option is to make a green sauce with a cup of leftover herbs blended with garlic, shallots, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and maybe a handful of capers. Beware that if you're thinking about adding potent herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage, their flavors will likely overwhelm your sauce. Once your green sauce is made, you can use it to marinate chicken, pour on a steak, or mix it with yogurt to make a dip.

If you want to make a green sauce with Mexican flavors to pair with taco night, remove the red wine vinegar and olive oil and add roasted tomatillos and fresh green chiles for a salsa verde. Or you can go more toward Argentina's simple chimichurri sauce to spoon over grilled meat. In an interview with Reuters, Argentine chef Francis Mallmann mentioned that he makes chimichurri sauce by combining finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salmuera, an Argentine basting brine. The options are endless!

So now you are a green sauce pro, but you want to explore more flavor profiles to really liven up and add excitement to your sauce. If so, you can look to some other green sauces from around the world for inspiration. If you love the bright and fresh flavors of Thai cuisine, try Thai nam jim seafood sauce like the one made by Kiln, a Thai barbecue restaurant previously named best in the U.K. Instead of using olive oil, reach for fish sauce and lime juice as your base. Then let cilantro, garlic, and Thai green chiles be the main stars. Nam jim sauce goes perfectly with spring rolls, seafood, and grilled dishes of all kinds.

Another compelling green sauce to try is India's minty green chutney. According to celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, all you need is fresh coriander (cilantro), mint leaves, green chiles, lemon juice, and black salt. If you don't have black salt in your cabinet, you can replace it with chaat masala (an Indian street food spice) or cumin. This sauce goes perfectly with kebabs, samosas, or any fried finger foods.