This fresh and zesty Lemon, Caper and Parsley Salsa Verde is the perfect summer condiment. Spoon over grilled veggies or use as a dip for crudites. It even makes a delicious potato salad dressing! Based on a classic Italian Green Sauce, this recipe is perfect for giving your BBQ cook outs extra zing!
I make variations of this Italian salsa verde recipe pretty much every time we get our BBQ out. It's such a versatile sauce, and the flavors really compliment grilled foods.
The punch of flavor is particularly good with potatoes like with this Grilled Baby Potatoes recipe or on my mid- week favorite Spicy Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower Steaks. I also make it to serve over platters of grilled red peppers, zucchini and eggplant, which turns them into a delicious BBQ side dish with barely any effort.
Jump to:
🍋Ingredients
Choose the freshest ingredients to make this herb-based sauce really sing!
- A fresh lemon. Choose an unwaxed lemon as you will want to use the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.
- Flat-Leaf Parsley- sometimes referred to as Italian parsley. You can use curly parsley at a pinch, however I think flat leaf has a better flavor in this salsa.
- Other fresh herbs such as mint or basil: I tend to use whatever is growing in my garden. Any fresh green herbs such as basil or even coriander leaf (cilantro) will work.
- A Garlic Clove- fresh is best. The lemon juice sort of 'cooks' it so it tastes pungent yet not to acerbic.
- Capers- I like to use capers in brine. You can use salt-packed capers if you wish, if you do, be sure to give them a rinse before using.
- Good quality Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is a finishing sauce, so good olive oil is definitely the way to go as you will taste it.
- Salt (optional)- depending on how salty you like your salsa to be.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
This recipe is the perfect time to work on your knife skills!
- Finely chop the tablespoon of capers (or more!), the garlic, the fresh parsley and other herbs and zest the lemon. Add to a small bowl.
2. Mix in the fresh lemon juice and the olive oil. Taste and add more oil or lemon juice to suit!
Serve in a small bowl or drizzle over your grilled veggies or kabobs.
Hint: Try to chop everything a similar size for a cohesive salsa texture.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
You can switch up the ingredients for this versatile condiment to suit your own tastes or the other food you are serving it with:
- Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar - replace the lemon juice and zest with the vinegar of your choice.
- Fresh Basil- or other fresh herbs. You could even just use all basil which would be a lovely zesty alternative to classic basil pesto.
- Red Pepper Flakes- Amp up the spice volume with some red pepper flakes, or even just an extra grind of black pepper.
- Dijon Mustard- add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard for an extra zesty pep. This will take the salsa into more of a vinaigrette vibe, so would be wonderful on salad greens.
🔪Equipment
All you really need to make this recipe is a sharp knife and a cutting board for this rustic sauce. Alternatively, you can also use a mini food processor or an immersion blender which will result in a smooth sauce.
🫙Storage
If you have a glut of fresh Italian parsley, you could make extra of this sauce and freeze it in ice cube trays, then removing the cubes to a container or freezer bag to store in the freezer, ready to use for up to three months.
Otherwise, store any extra salsa verde in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. A little extra olive oil drizzled over the top of the salsa will prevent it from oxidizing and keep it fresher for longer.
Top tip
How you chop your herbs will affect the how this salsa looks. Make a rustic salsa by chopping roughly, or turn it into a smooth sauce by blending it.
❓FAQ
A Mexican salsa verde is usually made with tomatillos, jalapenos, lime juice and cilantro (coriander leaf), whereas an Italian style salse verde is usually a fresh mix of herbs, capers and maybe anchovies with lemon juice and olive oil.
They are very similar, however an Italian salsa verde has capers, or anchovies along with the fresh herbs. An Argentine Chimichurri usually contains red wine vinegar, has no capers and often has red chilli too.
More Condiments
Condiments can elevate a dish from ho hum, to outstanding. Here are some of my favourites.
BBQ and Grilling
Want some inspiration for your next grill or get together? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Lemon, Caper and Parsley Italian Salsa Verde
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
Salsa Verde
- 2 tablespoon Capers
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil (or more if you think it's needed)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (juiced and zested)
- 1 tablespoon Mint (and/or basil or coriander leaf (cilantro) )
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
For the Salsa
- Roughly Chop the Capers2 tablespoon Capers
- Finely chop the herbs and garlic.1 tablespoon Mint, 2 tablespoon Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, 1 clove garlic
- Zest the lemon then juice it.1 unwaxed lemon
- Mix together the lemon zest, garlic, herbs and capers, then add half the lemon juice and all the olive oil and mix.2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Taste & add more lemon or oil if you think it needs it!
- You can also add salt, however I find the capers quite salty so be careful when adding.
Notes
- Red Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar - replace the lemon juice and zest with the vinegar of your choice.
- Fresh Basil- or other fresh herbs. You could even just use all basil which would be a lovely zesty alternative to classic basil pesto.
- Red Pepper Flakes- Amp up the spice volume with some red pepper flakes, or even just an extra grind of black pepper.
- Dijon Mustard- add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard for an extra zesty pep. This will take the salsa into more of a vinaigrette vibe, so would be wonderful on salad greens.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Zesty and delicious!