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Italian Olive and Capers Salsa Verde served on a plate

Italian Olive and Capers Salsa Verde

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Italian olive and capers salsa verde is a fresh, herbaceous condiment made by hand-chopping parsley, green olives, capers, and garlic, then mixing with olive oil and lemon juice. The slightly chunky texture is achieved by hand chopping, and the flavors meld after resting 10-15 minutes. It brightens grilled meats, fish, and roasted vegetables with a balanced briny and acidic profile.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves only, chopped to 3-4mm pieces
  • ½ cup green olives roughly chopped into 5mm chunks
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed under cold water for 10 seconds
  • 1 clove garlic minced to 2mm pieces
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy fillets minced, optional
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh-squeezed
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil added slowly while whisking

Method
 

  1. Pile flat-leaf parsley leaves on a cutting board and chop finely until pieces measure about 3-4mm, roughly the size of a grain of rice. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
    1 cup flat-leaf parsley
  2. Rinse capers under cold water for 10 seconds to remove excess brine. Roughly chop green olives into 5mm chunks and mince garlic into 2mm pieces. Add all to the bowl with parsley.
    ½ cup green olives, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 clove garlic
  3. If using, mince anchovy fillets and add them along with red pepper flakes, black pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Stir everything together thoroughly with a fork for 30 seconds.
    1 teaspoon anchovy fillets, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  4. Pour extra-virgin olive oil in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce looks glossy and slightly thickened instead of separated.
    ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  5. Let the salsa sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so the garlic mellows and all flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice or salt if needed before serving.

Notes

  • Use only parsley leaves; stems can make the sauce bitter and murky.
  • Hand-chopping keeps a fresh, chunky texture that holds oil better than pureeing.
  • Rinse capers before adding to avoid overly salty flavor.

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