Spicy Green Sauce with Basil and Parsley
Spicy Basil and Parsley Green Sauce
You can’t go through summer without a little bit of spicy green sauce. Why? Because summer is all about the green. Green grass, green trees, leafy greens, and green herbs are just a few of the many green things that make this my favorite season. And of course, summer is all about the heat, so this sauce needed a little sizzle.
This basil and parsley green sauce with crushed red pepper was inspired by all of the lovely green herbs and vegetables that are growing in my garden. I’m totally loving stepping outside and picking fresh produce off of the vine. Food tastes so much better when it doesn’t travel.
You’re going to love this bright and slightly spicy green sauce recipe because it tastes great, it’s easy to make, and you can put it on almost anything. I picked a giant zucchini and turned it into zoodles with my spiralizer, then I smothered them in the sauce. It would be great on a salad and pasta too!
How to Make Spicy Green Sauce with Basil & Parsley in One Easy Step
All you’ll need to make this delicious green sauce is a food processor and a few minutes. Pack the processor with fresh basil leaves, parsley leaves, green onion, lemon juice, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, garlic, and seasonings, then give it a whirl in the processor until it looks like this.
Just look at that gorgeous color! I wish you could smell this sauce through your computer screen because it was incredible. You can imagine how fresh the aroma of the fresh picked basil and parsley was. Add the bright lemon juice and the savory garlic and green onions, ahhhh, so, so good.
Tossing the spicy green sauce with raw zucchini noodles (make zoodles with this) makes the perfect summer meal. You don’t have to cook anything, it’s light and cool, and it’s super healthy.
How healthy? Click on the ingredients to see what you’re gaining.
Green onions
Garlic
Now that you’ve seen how easy this spicy green basil and parsley sauce is to make, and how healthy it is for you, you’ve got to try it. What will you pair it with? Let me know.
Notes on the Crushed Red Pepper: I only added a half teaspoon of peppers and it had a nice bite to it. If you don’t like spicy food you can easily leave it out and the sauce will still taste great. If you like your food really hot feel free to add more peppers.
Notes on the Garlic: I always blanch my garlic when I blend it in raw sauces, such as hummus or pesto, because it takes away the bitterness and your breath won’t be quite as bad as it would if you didn’t blanch it.
Notes on the Pumpkin Seeds: You can use any type of seed or nut that you want if you don’t like pumpkin seeds. I used them because they didn’t overpower the flavor of the herbs.
Notes on the Green Onions: I didn’t put the bulb of the green onion in this sauce because I thought it overpowered the herbs. Save the whites and use them in another recipe that calls for onions.
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Spicy Basil and Parsley Green Sauce
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup of packed flat parsley leaves
- Four stems from green onions don’t add the white part of the onion unless you want a sharp bite to the sauce
- Juice from one lemon
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ cup of shelled pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic blanch them to tame some of the bitterness
- 2 teaspoons of ground sea salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup of water + 2 to 3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Note: To blanch the garlic put the cloves in boiling water for two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it’s creamy. Add more or less water depending on how thick you want it to be.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Enjoy!
manju says
That looks like such a versatile sauce! And I love all that goes into it!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Manju! 🙂
foodhuntersguide says
I need to make this!
Linda Meyer says
Let me know what you think!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This sounds wonderful, can never go wrong with basil and I need to plant more in our garden. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
I put basil in almost everything. It's the best. Thanks, Christine!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I love anything with basil, so I know I'm going to love this sauce!
Linda Meyer says
I hope you do. 🙂 Thanks, Amy!
Mel | avirtualvegan.com says
What a delicious and fresh sauce and it's so healthy! I do like zoodles but I am a sucker for pasta so I would have to stir it generously through a big bowl full. It would be great stirred through a risotto too. Yum!
Linda Meyer says
Ooooh, I love the idea of putting it in risotto! Thanks for the great idea, Melanie!
Jenn says
I love a good green sauce! Especially pesto! And especially with a bit of spice! I could see myself putting this on nearly everything! 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Who doesn't? 🙂 Thanks, Jenn!
Strength and Sunshine says
Too bad I never have any herbs left to make pesto or sauces with...I always just chopped them up and eat them :O Hahahaha! I really wish I could have them growing so I could take on demand!
Linda Meyer says
I get it! 🙂 If you have a sunny spot in your kitchen you could grow them in clay pots.
nicoleanndawson says
Talk about green goodness right in that bowl! Love all the rich colors and how you used with with spiraled zucchini. My favorite part is that you didn't use nuts like most recipes.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Nicole! I didn't want to make a pesto, I wanted this to be a sauce that could go on anything.