Whole Lemon Salsa Verde Recipe
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The joke in our house is that all food items are simply a vehicle for sauce.
Who needs the chips when you’ve got a melty bowl of queso? We all know who the real star is here. I’ll take that cheese straight to the face, thanks.
My love of sauce extends beyond queso, and I will unabashedly tell the server I need an extra bottle of ketchup when placing my order. If I can see a noodle, I need more spaghetti sauce, please. And hummus? Oh yeah, I eat that with a spoon when my husband isn’t looking.
So when I got a bundle of delicious Meyer lemons from our neighbors’ backyard, a tasty condiment was obviously at the top of my foodie experiment list.
As I’ve previously mentioned, in my quest to waste less, stretch our food budget, and maximize our nutrition intake, I’ve challenged myself to eat the WHOLE lemon, peels and all. (If you’re not using backyard lemons for this recipe, I strongly encourage you to buy organic since it includes the peels.)
Did you know there are lots of vitamins and nutrients hiding in those lemon peels? Those fragrant rinds are packed with fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
Meyer lemons, in particular, are ideal when you’re cooking a whole lemon recipe due to their thin skins and sweeter-than-normal-lemons fruit.
The inspiration for this one? Pleasing two picky palates with one fell sauce. I love lemons. I can’t get enough of them. My husband has that exact same passion, but for green olives. Thus, this bright citrus meets salty brine for this addictive Whole Lemon Salsa Verde.
Slather this flavorful Whole Lemon Salsa Verde on smoky grilled chicken or a juicy steak, or add some to a decadent grilled cheese to elevate your lunch game. The possibilities are endless!
Whole Lemon Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
1 medium Meyer lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 shallot, diced
1.5 cup packed parsley
3/4 cup pitted green olives
Pinch red pepper (optional)
Olive oil (optional)
Directions:
Combine the shallot, garlic, salt, and rice vinegar in a small bowl and let sit while you complete the next two steps.
Thoroughly rinse your whole Meyer lemon and pat dry. Then, slice your Meyer lemon into rounds and remove the seeds. (You can compost these, grow your own lemon trees, or use them to make your own pectin in a batch of jam, if desired.)
Place your Meyer lemon slices in a food processor and pulse into a fine mixture; you’ll want to avoid large chunks of peel.
Transfer your lemon mixture to a medium bowl. Put the parsley and green olives into your food processor and pulse into a coarse mixture, similar to a tapenade.
Stir all ingredients into the Meyer lemon mixture until well blended. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flake, if you like a little heat. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired!
Viola! Enjoy over grilled chicken, pork, steak, or roasted cauliflower steaks.
Want another whole Meyer lemon recipe? Check out my Whole Meyer Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Red Chili Flake. Looking for another tasty citrus condiment? You’ll get addicted to this Kumquat Chutney!
Stay tuned, we’re turning even more lemons into... well, more interesting things than lemonade shortly.
Xoxo,
Reese
