SUMMER SAUCE

 Summer Sauce Recipe

Active Time Total Time Yield

10 Mins 10 Mins Makes 1 cup

By SOUTHERN LIVING June 2017

This sauce couldn’t be easier to make or more addictive to eat. In 10 minutes, you’ll have the perfect salad topper or sandwich dipper. Check your cabinets, because you may already have all of the ingredients on hand. Bringing together basil, parsley, mint, garlic, olive oil, salt, and lemon creates the brightest summer sauce we could ever imagine. It makes the most of fragrant herbs and all the best flavors of the season. We’d recommend a quick trip to your herb garden to gather the ingredients, but it’s ok to get them from your grocery store, too. Once you combine the ingredients, be sure to set the mixture aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it until it’s time for dinner. It’s an explosion of fresh flavor—you’ll want to use it immediately, but definitely be sure to use it within two days to ensure the freshest results. 

Our Test Kitchen professionals describe this mixture as bright and fresh, almost like a loose pesto that can adorn any summer dish. It could be the base of a vinaigrette (just add vinegar!), or it could even be turned into an addictive aioli (add mayo!). It’s versatile and fun, but still elegant enough for a dinner party, and it’s great for all manner of dishes. Have a salad? Pour it on. Dress your greens, your sandwiches, or your fresh produce. The possibilities are endless. If you have other herbs in your garden that you want to use, feel free to get creative in the kitchen and customize your summer sauce. This blend is unforgettable, though—it’s a summery sauce to end all summery sauces. You can use either a food processor or a blender, but ensure that you don’t increase the batch so much that it overflows. That might just be too much of a good thing.

 

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 garlic clove

How to Make It

Process all ingredients in a food processor or

blender until smooth. Add additional salt or lemon juice, if desired. Cover and chill until ready to use. Use within 2 days.