This salsa verde is not the traditional Mexican green salsa but the lesser-known Italian version, a zesty lemon-garlic-parsley-caper sauce. We jokingly call it sexy sauce for its bright garlicky goodness. As a base, this hearty springtime stew is a play in contrasts: light green peas, asparagus, and artichokes pair with dark earthy kale and lentils. The end result is a thick stew that pairs well with a crusty bread (here) or corn muffins (here). You’ll want to make salsa verde again and again—drizzle it over roasted cauliflower or grilled fish, or use it as a dip for bread.
Ingredients
FOR THE STEW
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large carrot (or 2 small)
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- ½ bunch Tuscan or Lacinato kale (about 4 ounces)*
- 8 thick or 12 thin asparagus stalks (or substitute an additional 1 cup snow peas)
- 1 cup snow peas
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 cup dried green lentils
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SALSA VERDE
- ¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon jarred capers
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It
- Make the stew: Peel and dice the onion and the carrot. Peel and mince the garlic. Destem the kale by holding the leaf at the lowest part of the stem and pulling back to tear the leaf away from the stem, then chop the leaves into roughly bite-sized pieces. Chop the asparagus and peas into bite-sized pieces, removing any tough stems from the peas if necessary.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and bay leaf and sauté for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth, artichoke hearts, lentils, kale, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and gently cook for 10 minutes until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Add the asparagus and cook 5 minutes more. Add the peas and cook another 3 minutes until bright green and tender. When the stew is done, remove the bay leaf; it will be thick and stew-like, not brothy. Taste and add a pinch or two of additional salt if desired.
- Make the salsa verde: Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley. Zest the lemon. Peel and mince the garlic. Drain and finely chop the capers. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, lemon, garlic, capers, olive oil, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper.
- To serve, ladle into large shallow bowls and top with generous spoonfuls of salsa verde.
