How to turn an excess of herbs into a showstopping sauce for just about anything – recipe | Waste not

This make-ahead, easy green sauce is suitable for to almost any main dish and a great way to use up hang-about herbs

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henever I want to cook something special, my first thought is always salsa verde, and Christmas is no exception. This vibrant sauce is so forgiving and endlessly versatile – a last-minute showstopper that can be whipped up with a few store-cupboard ingredients and some herbs. It’s normally made with parsley, garlic, capers, anchovy fillets, olive oil and vinegar, but as long as the end result is green and saucy, I’m generally more than happy. Finely chop whatever herbs you have to hand – I used rosemary, sage, lemon verbena and nasturtiumsfrom the garden.

Green sauce is a forgiving, adaptable recipe, and a great way to use an excess of herbs or leafy greens and their stalks. It’s delicious with almost any simple roast, grilled or fried fish, vegetable or meat, and elevates any meal almost effortlessly. I find that chopping the herbs by hand creates a much nicer texture than using a blender. If you do use a blender, simply pulse all the ingredients at once, but make sure you’ve chopped the herbs 10mm or smaller first.

I like salsa verde better once it’s had time to sit and rest, because that gives the acid time to break down the herbs and for the flavours to amalgamate, so ideally make this sauce the day before, or first thing in the morning.