Chermoula is going to become your new favorite condiment to use this summer. It has an amazingly herbaceous, spicy, and tangy flavor that is great in all sorts of applications.
What is Chermoula?
Chermoula is a classic condiment that originated in the Mahgreb countries of Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Lybia. And in its most basic form, it is a combination of fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley, ground spices, oil, and some sort of acid like citrus juice.
However, it’s best not to think of chermoula as one type of condiment. As it can vary widely from region to region and even from household to household. That being said there are generally four main types of chermoula.
- Green chermoula: Goes heavy on the herbs and leaves out any spices that give off an intense color.
- Red chermoula: Often includes a good amount of paprika or even a teaspoon of harissa paste for color and a nice kick.
- Yellow chermoula: Has turmeric added to it until it turns yellow.
- Brown chermoula: Includes a lot of different spices or a decent use of spice blends like Ras al Hanout.
What are the Best Uses for Chermoula?
One of the best aspects about chermoula is how it can be used in so many different ways. My personal go-to is to use it as a marinade for meats and or vegetables before cooking them. While other times I like to serve it as a condiment with meats and bread just like chimichurri.
But it doesn’t stop there because you can also get really creative with how you use it. For example, it can be mixed with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice to make a salad dressing. You could also stir a little bit into soups or stews for a burst of bright flavor. It can be mixed with a little bit of mayo or yogurt for a creamy dip or sauce. Or even used as a substitute for pesto and mix it in with some pasta.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- To blend or not to blend?: Most recipes for chermoula insist on making it by blending all of the ingredients together in a food processor. And while that definitely is an easy way to make this sauce That’s not my preferred method. Why? Well, it’s because the olive oil often ends up being emulsified resulting in a thick sauce. And by chopping all of the ingredients by hand and mixing them together in a bowl you don’t run into this issue. That being said if you really are tight on time and want to make it in a food processor then go right ahead. Just make sure that you add the olive oil at the last second and make sure that you don’t over-process/blend everything.
- How long with this chermoula sauce last?: Well if you store it in an airtight container in your fridge it should last at least 4 days or up to a week. If you want to store it for longer then you can seal it in a plastic bag and place it in your freezer for at least 3 months.
Other Sauces You Might Enjoy
Chermoula Recipe
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: a little over 2 cups
Ingredients
1 Cup of fresh cilantro, minced
1 Cup of fresh parsley leaves, minced
3 to 4 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon of fresh ginger, minced (you can also use ½ teaspoon of ground ginger)
2 Teaspoons of paprika
1 Teaspoon of ground cumin
1 Teaspoon of salt
½ Teaspoon of ground coriander
½ Teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
A pinch of saffron threads (optional)
Juice from 1 large lemon, along with the zest
¾ Cup of olive oil, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Get out a medium-sized mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients for the chermoula to it. Then simply use a spoon to mix these ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated.
If the sauce is too thick for your liking then add a little more olive oil.
- Either use the chermoula immediately or store it in an air-tight container in your fridge and use it when needed, enjoy!
Chermoula Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of fresh cilantro minced
- 1 Cup of fresh parsley leaves minced
- 3 to 4 Cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon of fresh ginger minced (you can also use ½ teaspoon of ground ginger)
- 2 Teaspoons of paprika
- 1 Teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 Teaspoon of salt
- ½ Teaspoon of ground coriander
- ½ Teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes optional
- A pinch of saffron threads optional
- Juice from 1 large lemon along with the zest
- ¾ Cup of olive oil plus more as needed
Instructions
- Get out a medium-sized mixing bowl and add all of the ingredients for the chermoula to it. Then simply use a spoon to mix these ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated. If the sauce is too thick for your liking then add a little more olive oil.
- Either use the chermoula immediately or store it in an air-tight container in your fridge and use it when needed, enjoy!
