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002I was flying around the Interwebs, as The Goddess tends to do too frequently for the dust bunnies gathering for an assault, when I ran across this entry on Pinch of Yum‘s blog.  I knew instantly that I was going to become intimate friends with this sauce.  It’s avocado-based, but with so much more to offer….006Pinch of Yum lives in Minnesota and I would suspect this sauce is a bright spot on a chilly, winter day; a reminder of summer to come, perhaps.  She waxes on how delicious this is and she is SOOOOO right!  She is genius.  This is eat-it-right-out-of-the-container delicious.  Remember, this will only be as good as the avocados you use and they should be buttery, ripe.  Let’s just get right to it.

Pinch of Yum's Magic Green Sauce

  • Servings: Makes about 2 cups
  • Difficulty: Too Easy
  • Print

  • 2 avocados
  • 3/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 1 scallion, cut into pieces (optional)
  • 4 mint leaves (only 4…it’s just a hint)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of 1 lime or lemon (you may need more if you want it sharper)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup toasted pistachio meats or cashews (see the NOTE)

Throw everything but the pistachios in the bowl of your food processor.  Purée until completely smooth; taste and add some lemon juice or salt as needed.

Toss in the pistachios and whirl until the mixture is almost smooth, or to your liking.

Serve as a sauce, dip, spread or thin to make a salad dressing.  It’s pretty good with a spoon, the jar and a dark corner!

NOTE:  I made this with both toasted and untoasted pistachios.  Toasted makes a huge difference in the flavor, much warmer and richer tasting.  P of Y suggests walnuts or almonds, and I found toasted cashews were lovely and buttery.  No matter what nut you choose, I would recommend toasting them first.

Adapted from PinchofYum.com

060As I usually do, I changed the recipe just a bit.  I change recipes either by choice or by need.  In this case, I didn’t have a  jalapeño in the house, so I used a poblano instead; I wasn’t looking for heat anyway.  I used 2 avocados instead of 1 and added a couple of mint leaves to the mix, along with the parsley and cilantro.  Pinch of Yum uses a combo of fresh parsley and cilantro leaves only.  063The real difference is toasting the nuts.  I really think it is imperative that you toast those pistachios.  I couldn’t believe the difference in the taste, but it was significant.  I used toasted cashews on one batch and really liked the buttery quality they gave this, but it did change the color a little; I prefer the more intensely green color, but the flavor with the cashews was really nice.  My version is thicker the Pinch of Yum’s version, because I used another avocado.  I was wanting a mayonnaise-like consistency, but thin the sauce if you prefer.

I have used this sauce on crackers, hamburgers with bacon, grilled chicken breast, 006in a summer roll, salmon and scrambled eggs.  All were delicious and I will make this sauce again and again.   Thank you Pinch of Yum!