Have you ever made chimichurri? I made my first this week. My mom had gotten me cute little tomatillos from the farmer’s market, and I had just harvested the first Anaheim peppers from my garden. I usually make a white bean chili with these ingredients. Instead, I decided to grill up the veggies and blend them in this special sauce. And, it turned out to be a hit! The recipe is so simple, and the results are delicious.

So, what is chimichurri anyway? It’s a sauce with origins in Argentina. It’s usually made from herbs, oil, and vinegar, and adds a freshness and flavor mostly to grilled meat.

The chimichurri I made this week is smokey from the char on the veggies, has a wonderful tang from the tomatillos (rather than vinegar) and a slight heat from the chilis. It’s a great combination with the freshness from the herbs. Yum!

The chimichurri only required four simple ingredients:

• 6 small tomatillos
• 2 medium Anaheim peppers
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh herbs of your choice (cilantro, basil, or oregano work great)

Equipment you’ll need:
• Grill
• Tongs
• Food processor
• Silicone spatula

How to make the chimichurri:

1. Fire up the grill. As the grill is warming up, clean your tomatillos (take the husks off as well), peppers, and herbs. Cut off the tops You can also peel your garlic to have all the ingredients ready
2. Throw your tomatillos and peppers on the hot grill for about 5 minutes. You want the green colors to stay bright, but you want to develop a light char on both the chilis and the tomatillos.

3. Take your grilled veggies and put them in the food processor. Add 2 cloves of garlic and turn the food processor on low. After your first three ingredients are broken up, add the fresh herbs and pulse them until well incorporated
4. Take your spatula and scrape off the chimichurri!
5. Serve on top of your favorite protein, veggies or grains (see below for some ideas!).

So, what can you do with a chimichurri? You can use this awesome sauce to top so many different things.

Here are five ideas you can top with my tomatillo chimichurri:

1. Grilled chicken. That’s what we did this week. I added chicken to the grill at the same time as the veggies, and by the time the chimichurri sauce was made, the chicken was on it’s way cooking on the grill.
2. Grilled fish. Fish is another yummy option. The chimichurri would work well with a flaky, tender white fish like trout, but I can also see it standing up to a fish like tuna. And light, tender shrimp or scallops would also go well with this chimichurri.
3. Veggies. Topping veggies with veggies- what could be better! I love grilling or roasting summer squash, zucchini, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. The chimichurri would really add flavor and depth to roasted or grilled veggies
4. Grains. I love boiling grains like brown rice, quinoa, or farro. Topping the grains with a fresh chimichurri would make a lovely foundation to the dish. If you added black beans, lentils, or even garbanzo beans, you would complete the protein and could make a main vegetarian dish out of it.
5. Organic tofu. For a light meal, tofu topped with a flavorful sauce like this chimichurri will add flavor, freshness, and texture. And, It’s an awesome plant-based vegetarian (and vegan) option.

Have you made chimichurri before? How do you use it? Let me know in the comments.

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