Chimichurri Verde Sauce

Chimichurri Verde is a simple and stunningly delicious sauce originating in South America (primarily Argentina and Uruguay) and made with parsley, garlic, and olive oil. It's like South American pesto, but possibly better. There are a LOT of chimichurri recipes out there, each one different and tailored to different taste. All I can do is describe why this is my favorite and invite you to try it out for yourself. 

To be fair, authentic Argentinian chimichurri doesn't contain cilantro as mine does, but are mostly parsley with a small amount of dried oregano. In fact, I found quite a few recipe reviews on other sites written by incensed Argentinians apparently experiencing spasms over the addition of cilantro to their beloved sauce. However, because I have a huge affinity for cilantro and a garden overgrown with oregano, I began adding those additional herbs in to find the ratio I most preferred and I found the combination was greatly improved by the herbal diversity. 

Chimichurri is traditionally served over grilled or barbecued meat. Most of all, I recommend it over grilled flank steak and served on homemade tortillas. Add some avocado, some pickled onions.. It's one of the best things I've ever eaten. 

Chimichurri Verde Sauce

1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley (around 2 cups, chopped)

1/2 bunch cilantro (around 1 cup, chopped)

3 sprigs fresh oregano 

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 to 1 whole serrano pepper

1/2  to 3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse and dry herbs. Remove stems. Seed split serrano pepper in half and remove seeds. Place the parsley, cilantro, oregano leaves, garlic cloves and desired amount of serrano pepper in a food processor and run until finely chopped. (Traditional methods call for the herbs to be finely chopped or ground using a mortar and pestle.) 

Scrape contents into a bowl and stir in the lesser amount of olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine; use remaining olive oil to achieve desired constancy. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Moroccan Spices and Goat Cheese

This recipe is adapted straight out of an authentic Moroccan cookbook, belonging to one of my good friends. He made this soup for us recently and I was so excited to find such a cozy, complex soup that I took a photo of the page in his cookbook (pictured below) and have been working on adapting it slightly. The original calls for some authentic Moroccan ingredients and spices so I have included a recipe for a Moroccan Spice Blend you can make yourself.

The caramelized onions and roasted squash with their natural sweetness are perfectly balanced by the acidic tomato paste and the creamy goat cheese. Add in the complexity of turmeric, ginger, and all those other amazing, spices and the flavor you can expect out of this soup is just stunning. Serve with toasted sandwiches or crusty bread, or fill your favorite mug and sip on the sofa in your comfy socks. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Moroccan Spices and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 TBS olive oil

2 butternut squash

2 TBS tomato paste

1/2 cup heavy cream or créme fraîche

1/2 lb goat cheese 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tsp Moroccan Spice Blend

Moroccan Spice Blend

1 TBS ground ginger

1 TBS ground turmeric

1 TBS freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

Combine spices into a jar and shake to combine. Store in an airtight container and use to season meats, grains, and vegetables. 

Preheat oven to 400°. Halve squash and remove seeds. 

Grain of Salt Option: You can either peel and chop for a shorter roasting time, or roast the entire half and then scrape the cooked squash out, which is my preference.                            

Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast halves for a hour or until soft. Cubes will only need 30 mins. 

Toss the onion with some salt and the olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Cover and steam over med-low heat until onion is soft, about 10 mins.

Add the squash, tomato paste, spices, and 3 cups of water. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until the squash is very soft and tender. Remove from heat and transfer soup in batches to a blender (or use an immersion blender, which is much easier, but may not yield as smooth and creamy a result) and puree until smooth. Add cream and three quarters of the cheese to the last batch of soup and puree until velvety. 

Return the soup to the pot and season with salt and pepper, and extra Moroccan spice blend to taste. Serve topped with the remaining goat cheese.