Persillade
on Sep 23, 2018, Updated Apr 11, 2025
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The benefits of a little jar of this green and vibrant condiment in your fridge are myriad.
Once you start to realize what happens when you have one or two or maybe even three little containers of versatile condiments in your fridge, the options start to bloom and mushroom.
Whipped Ricotta is one such condiment. Check it out, and see how many ways it will improve your life. Sriracha Sauce is another. Don’t even get me started on vinaigrettes.
Persillade is yet another. For starters, if you grill or sauté or broil up a steak or a piece of fish, with nothing on it but some olive oil and salt, you’ve still got a fabulous dinner. Drizzle some over grilled or roasted vegetables. Mash some into a baked potato. Toss some cooked rice or grains with it.
Kind of anywhere you would think to use pesto, or chimichurri sauce, this works. Recently it topped some roasted squash WITH some whipped fresh ricotta and it was a stunner of a side dish.
Table of Contents
What Is Persillade?
Like pesto, like chimichurri sauce, this is the kind of recipe that many people make in many different ways. The ingredients change, though there is always parsley at the base (different herbs, sometimes anchovies, garlic or shallots as representatives of the onion family, etc.).
I left out the anchovies but kept the capers, so this could work for vegetarians. I also went for scallions to keep to the green theme.
Now, also like the other herb-based sauces mentioned, this is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. One of my best friends uses a mortar and pestle all the time. He is the only person I know in the country in this century who does this. I do not. I can’t tell you where my mortar and pestle are. Some very, very, very high shelf, I’m sure.
It’s the food processor all the way for me, baby. But if you have a mortar and pestle, and the desire and the forearm strength to get to it, go get ‘em. You’ll have a more authentic texture, and the ingredients will integrate better, but that’s still not motivating me to search my upper shelves for that pestle.
Ingredients
- Fresh parsley – The key ingredient in any persillade sauce recipe.
- Scallions
- Capers
- Lemon – Both fresh lemon juice and zest are used in this recipe.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Red pepper flakes – For a little spicy kick.
How to Make Persillade
- Blend the produce: Place the parsley, scallions, thyme, capers and lemon juice and zest into a food processor and pulse until chopped and well combined.
- Add oil and season: With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil, and let the motor run until it is nicely combined. Add the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.
Storage
This will keep tightly sealed in the fridge for at least 5 days.
What to Serve With Persillade
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Persillade
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup sliced scallions
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon capers (rinsed)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place the parsley, scallions, thyme, capers and lemon juice and zest into a food processor and pulse until chopped and well combined.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil, and let the motor run until it is nicely combined. Add the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- I left out the anchovies but kept the capers, so this could work for vegetarians. I also went for scallions to keep to the green theme.
- This will keep tightly sealed in the fridge for at least 5 days.
