Ramp Sauce
on May 12, 2015, Updated Mar 04, 2025
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Ramps are the best substitute for both parsley and garlic in a chimichurri-like sauce that's perfect for spring.
When ramps are in season, ramp-lovers want to make the most of them for their short season. This ramp sauce is the perfect vehicle for highlighting those temporal and magical ramps, and it goes with all kinds of foods. Try this sauce on everything from baked salmon to grilled chicken thighs to roast chicken to a pan-seared ribeye steak.
This ramp sauce recipe is like a ramped up (sorry) chimichurri sauce, which is a very classic Argentinean sauce, typically served with beef or steak of some kind. It is usually made with parsley and garlic (often other herbs, too) and a splash of something acidic like vinegar or lemon juice. In this case, I decided that ramps would be the perfect springtime stand-in for the classic garlic. The ramp’s lush green leaves provide a deep, bright green color and a fresh oniony flavor, while the white bulbs of the ramp offer a more intense garlicky flavor.
You are going to want to drizzle this sauce over scrambled eggs, various bruschetta and crostini, baked cod, and grilled vegetables. See below for more ideas about how to serve ramp sauce.
Table of Contents
Ramp Sauce: Wild spring ramps are the best of a garlicky, fresh and versatile sauce.
Ingredients
- Fresh oregano leaves and thyme leaves – For earthy and herbaceous flavors.
- Fresh parsley leaves – For freshness.
- Ramps – Read more about these wild garlicky scallions.
- White wine vinegar – Offers brightness and a bit of acidity.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
- Red pepper flakes – For some heat.
How to Make Ramp Sauce
- Blend everything together: Put everything into a food processor and blender and whir the heck out of it.
- Thin it out: If you want a thinner sauce, add more olive oil, or you could add a little water.
How to Use Ramp Sauce
- Drizzle it over steak (these Mexican Ribeyes would be great).
- Dollop it on fish.
- Use some in the dressing of a pasta salad.
- Try it instead of cocktail sauce for shrimp cocktail.
- Spread just a bit of ramp sauce on a turkey sandwich, or add a little bit to your egg salad.
- Stir some into a pot of rice or risotto you are going to add a spoonful or two to a vegetable soup.
- Smear some under the skin of pieces of chicken pieces before roasting or grilling them.
- Spread it over grilled bruschetta paired with some soft mild cheese, and also maybe some grilled bell peppers or roasted red peppers.
- Toss it with some hot cooked pasta, adding a bit of the pasta cooking water and some additional olive oil. You can also add some diced fresh mozzarella or grated Parmesan cheese.
Storage
Ramp sauce will stay well for about 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
This sauce also freezes very well. You can portion it in ice cube trays so that you can thaw a little at a time. The cubes will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use them allow them to thaw at room temperature overnight.
What to Serve With Ramp Sauce
More Ramp Recipes
- Pasta Salad with Chicken, Picholine Olives, and Ramp Vinaigrette
- Green Olive and Ramp Tapenade
- Simple Ramp Pasta
- Spring Ramp and Pea Risotto
- Pasta with Ramps, Edamame, and Sugar Snap Peas in a Light Parmesan Cream Sauce
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Ramp Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 10 ramps (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves included)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or more as desired)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Put everything into a food processor and blender and whir the hell out of it.
- If you want a thinner sauce, add more olive oil, or you could add a little water.
Notes
- Ramp sauce will stay well for about 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
- This sauce also freezes very well. You can portion it in ice cube trays so that you can thaw a little at a time. The cubes will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use them allow them to thaw at room temperature overnight.
This was amazing on oven roasted potatoes and green beans! Added some dandelion and clover green to the chimichurri since we were already on the forage trail and they were nearby. Then froze the leftover chimichurri in ice cube trays for later usage! Thank you for the great recipe!
This was absolutely delicious!
What is ramp? Are they’re substitutions!
Ramps are basically wild scallions or leeks that grow in certain areas of the country in the spring. If you want to make a chimichurri sauce without ramps, try this one! https://themom100.com/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-with-chimichurri-sauce/
Ridiculously easy and delicious!
Can this be frozen for future use?
yes!
I haven’t tried this yet but I can’t wait to try it as the ‘sauce’ of a pizza with some mildly flavored white cheese, with some pine nuts.
that is a genius idea!