As a home cook, I enjoy cooking on the fly — making something out of what I already have in the fridge rather than buying more ingredients. It’s less about perfection, and more about making things work.
This simple chimichurri sauce came together simply because I had a bunch of parsley leftover from my yoshoku dinner that needed to be used before it wilted. So I paired it with garlic, chilli and vinegar — nothing fancy, just what was on hand. A simple sauce made out of practicality, but one that turned out fresh, punchy and full of flavour.
I’m not a purist when it comes to cooking. To me, it’s about being flexible and practical. While this version uses English parsley, you can easily swap it for Italian parsley, coriander or cilantro depending on what you have. Each brings a slightly different flavour, but all work beautifully.
Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Parsley See notes
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar Use 2tbsp if you omit brown rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Brown rice vinegar Use 2tbsp if you omit red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Chilli padi Dried chili whole or flakes work too
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Roughly chop the parsley.
- Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until fine.
Notes
- Adjust seasoning to taste: Feel free to adjust the proportion of seasoning and aromatics according to your personal preference.
- Herbs – feel free to swap in any of the following, depending on what you have on hand: (a)English parsley (curly parsley) – mild, slightly grassy, with a subtle bitterness, (b) Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley) – brighter, more herbaceous and robust in flavour (c) Coriander / cilantro – more aromatic and citrusy, with a distinctive freshness
- Storage: Short shelf life. Store in the coldest part of the fridge (around 4°C) and consume within 5–7 days.
- To serve: Pairs well with grilled meats.
- Variation: Mix into mashed avocado to make a quick, flavourful guacamole. Serve with nacho chips.
