Chimichurri sauce is a refreshing and spicy herbal sauce from Argentina, that is tasty and healthy to eat on the side of meat, fish or chicken.
Traditionally it is made of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar. The dominant flavours are parsley and garlic.
My version is with parsley, coriander and balsamic vinegar.
It is not only tasty but also a great ‘extra’ to support your health. Read more about the health benefits after the recipe.
Chimichurri sauce
- A large handful parsley leaves
- A large handful coriander leaves
- 1 small onion
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 clove garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil (and some extra olive oil to cover the chimichurri)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor. Cover with olive oil and keep in the fridge up to 3 days.
Antioxidants
I recommend preparing this sauce because it contains a combination of antioxidants that fight the damage of free radicals.
This sauce is a condiment that tops over steak, chicken or fish.
Eating this sauce on top of meat is an example of the traditional cooking methods that are a good combination for the health.
All the ingredients are packed with antioxidants that can protect from the damage of free radicals that created during the process of cooking meats and oils.
And in result, eating antioxidants help to reduce inflammation in the body.
Free radicals 1
The type of oil, the cooking method and the type of meat influence the amount of free radicals.
Frying foods in oil or any kind of fat promote free radicals.
If free radicals overwhelm the body’s ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress occur.
Free radicals cause oxidative stress (imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body) and negatively change lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger several human diseases.
Eating more antioxidants will assist in coping this oxidative stress.
Infections from disease, air pollution, poor nutrition, physical and mental stress increase the formation of free radical in the body. Certain foods and drinks like alcohol, trans-fat, frying oils on high heat, smoked foods and burnt foods may increase free radicals in the body.
