The Crisper Whisperer: Awesome (Herb) Sauce Recipe

By
Carolyn Cope
A photo of Carolyn Cope, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carolyn Cope
Carolyn Cope has an affinity for plant-based foods, but she has blogged about all things savory at Umami Girl since 2008.
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Updated March 07, 2019
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Whether you grow your own herbs and end up with a bumper crop or buy a big bunch at the supermarket and use a few tablespoons in a recipe, leftover fresh herbs can threaten to overtake your home, garden, and sanity as the weather warms up. Making this flexible recipe is like waving a magic wand in the general direction of the garden and—voila!—what was once a looming burden is suddenly awesome sauce.

Don't worry your pretty little head about quantities in this recipe. A few large handfuls of herbs, or a few smaller ones, will yield a perfectly tasty sauce. The point is to use up what you have. Whirl, taste, adjust, repeat to suit your particular taste buds. It's all very low-key, with one caveat: don't forget to check your teeth.

Recipe Details

The Crisper Whisperer: Awesome (Herb) Sauce Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Makes 1 cup
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • Fresh basil, cilantro, dill, parsley and/or chives totaling approximately 1 large supermarket bunch
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • Juice of one Meyer (or regular) lemon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Remove any thick stems from herbs. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade and process until smooth. Serve as a salad dressing or as a sauce for grilled fish or poultry, tacos, a smoked salmon sandwich—you name it.

Special equipment

Food processor

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