Nettle Chimichurri

a classic Argentinian herb sauce with a twist for spring

If you’ve never made chimichurri before, you’re in for a treat. This classic Argentinian sauce is often served with grilled meat, but you can spoon it over just about anything.

Its vinegar base makes it ideal for adding vibrant flavor to all sorts of dishes. From a basic pot of beans to grilled vegetables or flatbread, it’s a great sauce to keep on hand for the week.

With spring in full swing and nettle in abundance, I try to sneak it in wherever I can. High in vitamins, minerals, and iron, nettle is a powerhouse nutritive herb that supports kidney, liver, and digestive health.

It’s a key herb for spring that helps to revitalize the body and support a gentle release of any stagnation we’ve held onto from wintertime.

If you can get your hands on fresh nettle you can blanch them and use them like spinach. Once tender, they’re easy to blend up into pestos, sauces, or chopped into soups.

For this recipe, I used a spoonful of dried nettle leaves to mix in with the other fresh herbs. It’s easy to reconstitute dried nettle, in place of fresh, when you need to.

I served the nettle chimichurri over creamy white beans as a side dish to accompany a larger spread for dinner. The next day I spooned it over breakfast tacos and it really added an extra hit of flavor.