Italian Salsa Verde

Italian salsa verde is rich, garlicky, and so flavorful. It’s a great way to use fresh parsley and perfect to serve with grilled food, vegetables, fresh cheese, bread, and more!

Ready for big, bold flavors?

If you’ve explored my website, you’ll notice that I have quite a few dip recipes. But believe it or not, this Italian salsa verde is the condiment I’ve grown up with and has a special place in my heart.

It’s robust and rustic. It adds a big punch of flavor to any grilled meat, cheese, or bread and turns any veggies into a scrumptious BBQ side dish.

What is Italian salsa verde?

Italian salsa verde might sound similar to the popular chimichurri, which is very popular in Latin American cuisine. However, the traditional Italian recipe uses different ingredients besides fresh parsley, garlic, and olive oil, and it’s more versatile. It’s also different from Mexican salsa verde, which is made with tomatillos and jalapenos.

This popular Italian sauce recipe combines fresh parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegar with flavor boosters like garlic, anchovies, and capers. Then, hard-boiled egg yolks and bread are added to bring richness and texture.

It’s a must in the Piedmontese culinary tradition. It’s the best accompaniment for traditional mixed boiled meat (bollito misto), fresh, soft cheese (tomini), grilled vegetables (especially bell peppers), fish, and crostini.

The unusual combination of ingredients might be surprising at first, but it’s sure to achieve a depth, complex flavor, and rich texture that makes this green sauce absolutely amazing.

Friends, you really need some Italian salsa verde in your life, especially with all the summer gatherings and BBQs around the corner. So it’s time for you to try my family’s recipe!

List of the ingredients

• Flat-leaf parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Vinegar
• Bread
• Garlic
• Egg
• Anchovies + capers
• Salt

How to make Italian salsa verde recipe

(Note: This is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page.)

• Wash, drain, and remove the stems from parsley.
• Boil the egg for about 10 minutes.
• Soak the bread with the vinegar, then squeeze it.

• Whizz the parsley until coarsely chopped.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Whizz again until well combined and the salsa reaches a pesto-like texture.

Note: Traditionally made with mortar and pestle, I prefer using a small food processor to whizz the ingredients, but an immersion blender also works fine if you add a bit more olive oil.

Recipe notes

Ingredients & substitutions

Parsley: The only herb used in the traditional Italian recipe is flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley), not the curly ones. We don’t use other fresh herbs like mint, basil, chives, or oregano.

Extra virgin olive oil: It’s the best for flavor and a key ingredient in every Italian sauce.

Garlic: It’s essential for salsa verde!

Bread + vinegar: Bread soaked in white or red wine vinegar adds body to the sauce. I always use white sliced bread, but another type of bread, including gluten-free bread, is fine.

Anchovies in olive oil: Their umami flavor makes this sauce extra special, and you can use leftovers for this pizza, pasta puttanesca, or olive tapenade. If using anchovies in salt, wash them well to remove the salt and season only to taste if needed. However, anchovies are not for everyone; skip this ingredient if you wish.

Capers in brine: Their tangy flavor makes the Italian salsa verde fresh and bright. This lemon caper pasta and sun-dried tomato spread are great to use up capers.

Egg: The Italian salsa verde traditionally uses hard-boiled egg yolks to add richness and flavor. I’ve always made it that way, and I love it as it is, but you can omit the egg yolk.

How to serve it

Traditionally, Italian salsa verde is the classic accompaniment for meat, especially boiled meat. It adds extra flavor to your steak or plain, grilled chicken. But it’s also perfect to jazz up any grilled vegetables to make a scrumptious BBQ side dish or to serve with fresh soft cheese and bread. We also love it with eggs, and I often add it to my potato frittata. It’s also delicious with my bean salad or chickpea salad.

Tips for an authentic Italian salsa verde

1. Blend the parsley before adding the olive oil.
2. Squeeze out excess vinegar from the bread.
3. You can skip one of the ingredients if it’s not your thing (anchovies?! Maybe capers?! ). The recipe can be quite flexible, but I recommend sticking to the ingredient list for a classic Italian salsa verde. : )
4. Whizz until you reach a pesto-like consistency. Italian salsa verde is a bit rustic and not ultra smooth.
5. Go easy on salt and season to taste at the end.

Storage tips

Transfer the salsa verde to a glass jar with a lid, add a thin layer of olive oil, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. It’s also freezeable, ideally for up to 2 months.

More dip recipes for you

For your next summer get-togethers, you might be interested in more dips and sauces that are super quick to make and perfect for vegetables, bread, and meat. Here are some of my favorites:

• Sriracha aioli
• Mint yogurt sauce
• Jalapeno cream cheese
• Ricotta dip
• Sun-dried tomato paste

If you make this flavor-packed Italian salsa verde, or have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x

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