This wild garlic salsa verde is a piquant green sauce made with wild garlic leaves. It's packed with taste and can be served with a variety of dishes to add flavour and colour.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Wild garlic salsa verde is a versatile green sauce that complements lamb, steak, chicken, fish or veggie dishes
- A seasonal spring time recipe. If you're lucky you may be able to forage the leaves for free, and this wild garlic sauce is a great way to preserve the leaves
- A healthy condiment to add to your meal. Wild garlic is even healthier than bulb garlic and extra virgin olive oil is a good source of healthy fats. When you see the colour of the ingredients, you just know it's nutritious!
- A quick and easy sauce that takes just 10 minutes to make
- Gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free and dairy-free. This is an ideal sauce to pep up a vegan meal
- Homemade wild garlic salsa verde will store in the fridge for up to 2 months and freezes well
Ingredients
Wild garlic leaves. In the UK, these are in season between March and May. They grow in shaded spots alongside footpaths and hedgerows. Wild garlic is also often available at farmers' markets during the spring. It's sometimes known as ransoms.
If you are picking your own wild garlic leaves, make sure to consult a good foraging guide. (I like Richard Mabey's Food for Free.) Don't pick more than you need, and make sure that you wash the leaves well.
Tip: fresh young nettle leaves are also good at this time of year. You can make nettle crisps, nettle soup or nettle pesto. Or try a simple cup of nettle tea.
Olive oil. As the oil won't be heated in the recipe, you'll get the full health benefits of using extra virgin olive oil. You can use another healthy oil if you prefer.
Apple cider vinegar. This provides the necessary acidity in the sauce. Apple cider vinegar has some health benefits, especially if you buy one which contains the mother. Use red or white wine vinegar or lemon juice if you prefer.
Lemon zest. This will provide a slight lemony flavour (as opposed to lemon juice which provides acidity).
Dijon mustard or mustard powder adds extra seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional ingredients
A traditional salsa verde often includes capers or anchovies for a salty tang, and you can add them to this recipe too. A tablespoon of capers or 2-3 anchovies will be sufficient. Gherkins can also be included if you like.
You can also add other herbs to wild garlic sauce. Parsley or mint both go well.
How to make wild garlic salsa verde
Whisk together the olive oil, a tablespoon of vinegar, lemon zest and seasoning in a bowl.
Wash and dry the wild garlic leaves, and chop finely. I use a large knife on a wooden board, or you could use a two-handed herb chopper (mezzaluna).
Mix the chopped wild garlic into the dressing. Taste and add a little more vinegar if desired. I love the acidity of this green sauce so usually use 2 tablespoons of vinegar but adjust the recipe to suit your taste.
Making wild garlic sauce in a blender
If you prefer, you can also make wild garlic sauce in a mini processor or blender. Add the washed leaves and other ingredients and blitz until the leaves are chopped and the sauce is blended.
I prefer the texture of hand-chopped salsa verde, and it doesn't seem worth getting the food processor out for such as quick job. But if you'd prefer a smoother sauce then a processor is ideal.
Serving and storage
As it's coming up to Easter, I'll be enjoying my wild garlic salsa verde with roast lamb. The punchy flavour and acidity are perfect with lamb, and you could add a little mint to the recipe too.
Salsa verde is the ideal condiment for roast or grilled chicken or a juicy steak.
Wild garlic green sauce also goes well with fish. Try it with these oven baked basa fillets or salmon and make sure to include the lemon zest for the perfect fish sauce.
Vegetarians can also enjoy this vegan sauce with lentil burgers and roast veggies. It's also delicious stirred through plain rice or quinoa.
You can also use this healthy green sauce as a salad dressing by adding a little more olive oil.
Wild garlic salsa verde can be stored for up to a week in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator. It also freezes well. If you pop it into ice cube trays you'll be able to defrost individual portions easily.
Frequently asked questions
Chimichurri is similar to salsa verde but it is spicier as it usually contains some fresh chilli. Add a little finely chopped chilli to make a spicy wild garlic salsa verde if you'd prefer a more fiery version. Alternatively, use chilli oil in the recipe.
Both pesto and green sauce are made from chopped herbs blended with olive oil. But pesto contains nuts and cheese which makes it creamier and richer. Green sauce or salsa verde has a fresher, brighter flavour as it usually contains vinegar or lemon juice. Capers or anchovies are also often included which gives salsa verde a salty tang.
Other recipes you might like
There's lots of wild garlic near where I live, and I'm lucky enough that it's self-seeded in my garden now. Not only are the leaves tasty, but the flowers are pretty too.
You might also enjoy this wild garlic pesto with walnuts. It's creamier than the salsa verde, and is thicker so that it coats pasta well.
You can also add wild garlic to homemade hummus. Wild garlic has a milder flavour than bulb garlic, and I find this hummus very moreish!
Or try this vibrant, healthy wild garlic soup recipe.
If you liked foraged recipes, you might also like to browse the healthy drinks recipes where there are several wild teas.
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Recipe
Wild Garlic Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 50 g wild garlic leaves
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder or 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, a tablespoon of vinegar, lemon zest, mustard powder and seasoning in a mixing bowl.
- Wash and dry the wild garlic leaves. Chop finely with a large knife or herb chopper.
- Stir the chopped wild garlic into the oil and vinegar mix. Taste and add a little more vinegar if desired.
Notes
- Include other herbs such as mint, parsley, basil etc if you like. You can also add a tablespoon of capers or 1 or 2 anchovies.
- Lemon rind is optional but goes especially well if you are serving the green sauce with fish.
- Adjust the vinegar to suit your taste. I like the sauce quite acidic, but start with the lower amount and add more if desired.
- If you prefer you can make the sauce in a food processor or with a hand blender. Add the washed leaves to the blender along with all the other ingredients and blitz until chopped and mixed. You'll end up with a finer textured salsa verde.
- Wild garlic salsa verde is the perfect condiment with meats, fish and veggie dishes. Try it with roast lamb, chicken or salmon. It also adds a delicious punchy flavour to lentils.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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