Brilliantly green and glassy with oil, this 5-minute Chermoula sauce recipe positively vibrates with freshness, it's no wonder why since it's loaded with fresh herbs, olive oil, and spices. This must-have condiment is extremely easy to make and keeps for a week in the fridge. If you aren’t already familiar with chermoula, you’re in for a treat! This herbaceous, 5-minute chermoula is a must-have condiment for every Mediterranean pantry. Once you try it you'll know why!
The best part is the chermoula ingredients aren’t fussy—a quick trip to the store, and you’ll be ready to whip up a batch for yourself. Once you have a batch of Chermoula ready, there's no stopping you at creating simple few ingredient recipes just by pulling out a jar of this magical sauce. The flavours of chermoula are excellent at pairing well with all sorts of foods from fishes, meats, poultry and vegetables; the uses for this might condiment are unlimited!
What is Chermoula?
Chermoula, pronounced sher-moo-lah, is a popular Moroccan condiment made of fresh herbs such as parsley cilantro, garlic, lemon & warm spices. This delicious condiment can be used in everything from marinades, tagines, roasted vegetables, grain salads & it's also a great topping for bowls of soup.
Traditionally, chermoula is made similar to classic pesto. The fresh herbs, spices, garlic, & olive oil are pounded together using a pestle and mortar. The flavours unite while the condiment stays thick, and textured. However, the sauce is closer in taste and texture to zhoug, teklai, & chimichurri vs the classic pesto. There's no cheese or nuts in a chermoula.
Methods to Making Chermoula
There are three ways to prepare a chermoula:
- Traditional way→pound the herbs into a chunky mixture with a mortar & pestle.
- Modern way→toss everything into a food processor and give it a few pulses
- Rustic way→finely dice the herbs & garlic then whisk together all the other ingredients together.
Regardless of which method you choose to prepare your chermoula, it will always be delicious!
How to Use Chermoula
There's no shortage of usages for chermoula. It's one of the most versatile condiments in the Mediterranean pantry. Here are a few ways that Moroccans use chermoula.
- Marinade for fish, chicken, & vegetables
- Topping for soups & stews
- A flavour booster for baked meats, & vegetables
- A base for tagines
- Dressing for salads hearty salads
Other Mediterranean Sauces to Try
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5-minute Chermoula Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1 cup Parsley washed, dried
- 1 cup Cilantro washed, dried
- 4 Garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika ground
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed ground
- 2 Fresh Lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 preserved lemon (optional) finely diced
Instructions
Food processor Method:
- Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor. Close the lid. Pulse the food processor a few times to merge the herbs, garlic, and spices.
- Open the top opener of the food processor, then run the food processor on low and pour in the olive oil. Be careful not to over-process the chermoula, the final sauce should have some texture.
- Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Rustic Free-Hand Method:
- Finely Chop the parsley and cilantro, add into a small bowl.
- Finely dice the garlic, then add to the herbs along with the spices, lemon juice, and olive oil. Stir.
- Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Notes
- If using fresh ginger: finely dice 1" piece and follow the recipe as directed.
- For an easy freezing method: add the chermoula into an ice cube tray.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
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