Caribbean Green Seasoning

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This Caribbean staple is blend of herbs come together to create this bright and pungently herbaceous green seasoning sauce that works wonderfully as a marinade for meats and vegetables or to add a finishing touch of flavor to your meals.

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So, What is Green Seasoning?

In a nutshell, green seasoning is a versatile, herbaceous sauce that is made by blending together various herbs and spices. It is mostly used to season/marinade your meats and vegetables with. However, you can also add a dollop or two of it to some of your savory dishes (usually after they’re done cooking so that you can capitalize on the flavors). Most green seasonings are very potent, so a little can go a long way.

To make a great green seasoning you must must must use FRESH ingredients. But that being said, there is honestly no exacting recipe for it and you can add or omit to your heart’s content based on what you have on hand and what herbs you enjoy.

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Today I Will Be Using The Following Ingredients:

• Onions: the sharpness of the onions adds a great flavor but you don’t want to add too much of it since it can overwhelm your sauce.
• Garlic: fresh peeled whole cloves are the key. Dried or powder simply will not do justice to this sauce.
• Thyme: You can use a fine thyme (like I did) or a Spanish thyme if you prefer or have it on hand.
• Chives: This adds a great earthiness to your sauce.
• Oregano: Honestly you could get away with using dried but fresh really is best.
• Red Chili: A kick of spice is a must for an authentic green seasoning but it is optional. You can also use any hot pepper of your choosing such as a scotch bonnet.
• Parsley: Italian or curly works fine
• Cilantro: I’m using this since I had it on hand but typically you’ll want to opt for using culantro (aka chadon beni)
• Salt: I’m using a pink Himalayan salt but you can also use a sea salt
• Lemon Juice: You can also use fresh lime juice if you prefer or even orange juice for a bright citrus pop.
• Light Olive Oil: The use of the oil helps your blender to efficiently break down all your herbs but it also aids in extending your shelf-life of the sauce and preserving that bright green color. You want to avoid using water since it not only dilutes the potency of your sauce but it will most likely separate and sit on the bottom of your jar.

Other Optional Ingredients You Can Add Includes:

• Celery.
• Basil.
• Rosemary.
• Pimento peppers.
• Garlic chives.
• Ginger.

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Here’s How To Make Your Green Seasoning:

Making it is as simple as rough chopping your ingredients and adding everything into a blender or food processor and blitzing it until well combined.

Now, note, the method you use will affect the consistency of your green seasoning. A blender will give you a smooth puree whereas a food processor will give you more of a chunky, full-bodied blend. Both your preference and your use (aka using it as a marinade vs using it as a herbaceous add in to your meal) will determine which is best.

This batch was made and used as a marinade for my Caribbean Fried Fish recipe so blending it into a smooth puree worked best in this case.

The smell of this sauce is simply phenomenal. It’s pungently bright with earthy and grassy notes that are amplified by the aromatics such as the garlic,thyme, and oregano.

Speaking solely from personal experience, the smell of this seasoning brings memories of helping my mother in the kitchen to season meat for a Sunday lunch stew while she hums along to the ole time songs that are playing on the radio.

Did you make this recipe? If so, we’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter so snap a pic and reach out to us (@kitrusycleaneat and #kitrusy) and don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below!