If you’re looking to level up your garnish game, this Mint Gremolata recipe is for you! The zippy, vibrant, and fresh Italian garnish is made with a short list of ingredients and takes just a few minutes to make. Use it to pep up creamy soups, garnish meat, or add loads of flavor to roasted veggies.
You’re going to love how this gremolata garnish adds so much life to so many dishes!
Table of Contents
- What is Gremolata?
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Ingredients for Mint Gremolata
- Gremolata Variations
- How to Make Gremolata
- Tips for Success
- What to Serve with Mint Gremolata
- More Parsley & Other Fresh Herb Recipes
What is Gremolata?
Gremolata is an Italian condiment that adds so much bright and zesty flavor to so many dishes! It’s sort of a cross between a simple chopped herb garnish and, I guess, pesto. It’s garnish, but elevated.
It’s traditionally made with parsley, though for this mint gremolata recipe, I’ve added mint, too.
The result is a vibrant, fresh, robust flavor bomb that is amazing over meats (or veggie alternatives of course), soups, pizza, and roasted vegetables (like these roasted rainbow carrots!)
If you’ve ever made chimichurri, gremolata is very similar. Except chimichurri has olive oil, and is more like a condiment. Chimichurri is more of an amped up garnish that doesn’t contain any oil.
The Story Behind the Recipe
I was first inspired to create gremolata when I was roasting up some rainbow carrots and I wanted an extra fancy garnish to top them with. I thought the addition of mint would be a springy and refreshing touch. And it was amazing!
I soon realized how versatile gremolata is, and mint gremolata became my favorite fresh garnish for all kinds of goodies! And while originally, I included this recipe in my roasted carrots recipe, I realized that this gremolata recipe deserved a post of its very own.
Ingredients for Mint Gremolata
- Parsley: Key for gremolata. Flat-leaf parsley is best because of its more intense, bright parsley flavor (it’s also what tends to be used in traditional gremolata recipes).
- Mint: Just a few fresh mint leaves. A little goes a long way but adds so much fresh, zesty flavor!
- Lemon zest: From one fresh lemon. Use a Microplane zester to make zest quickly and easily.
- Garlic: Use one medium-sized clove of fresh garlic.
Gremolata Variations
- Traditional gremolata: Leave out the mint for a traditional gremolate that’s made with parsley only.
- Spice it up: Incorporate a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes after chopping.
- Swap the herbs: Though classic gremolata uses parsley, you can swap in or add fresh basil, a little thyme, oregano, even cilantro! Make it your own!
- Add salt: Some gremolata recipes call for salt. Coarse sea salt like Maldon is nice in gremolata.
How to Make Gremolata
Basically, you chop up your fresh herbs, incorporating grated fresh garlic and some lemon zest while you chop. It’s that simple!
Tips for Success
- Start with dry herbs. Wash and dry them very well, then chop. If your herbs are wet, it’s hard to get an even, consistent dice without them sticking to your hands, your knife, and everywhere.
- When zesting your lemon, avoid the pith. Zest only the very top layer of the lemon peel. If you get bits of the pith, your gremolata can taste bitter.
- If your garlic has a sprout, remove it! The garlic is still okay to use, but the sprouts will taste bitter. Just cut your clove in half, lift out the sprout, and discard it, then proceed with the recipe.
- Grate the garlic, too. Use the microplane to finely grate your garlic into your gremolata. This is much easier than having to dice it small!
- Chop by hand. Your blender or food processor is a bit too powerful for gremolata, blending the herbs to smithereens without a uniform dice. For this mint gremolata, you’re really better off chopping by hand.
What to Serve with Mint Gremolata
- Pep up veggies: With flavors of garlic and lemon, gremolata is especially good on cooked vegetables like roasted carrots or green beans.
- Top soups & chowders: Try gremolata on so many soups. It’s especially wonderful on winter root veggie soup, butternut squash soup, potato soup, or minestrone.
- Top pasta with gremolata: Try it on pasta or gnocchi that’s been tossed with alfredo sauce, for instance. It adds so much flavor!
- Top chicken or other meats (or meat substitutes like this Chickpea Wellington) with gremolata for a fancy, flavorful touch.
More Parsley & Other Fresh Herb Recipes
- Favorite Vegan Basil Pesto
- How to Freeze Parsley
- Quinoa Tabbouleh
- Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Avocado & Fresh Herbs
Mint Gremolata
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (lightly packed)
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (freshly grated)
- 1 medium clove garlic (grated)
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
Instructions
- Place the parsley and mint on a cutting board and begin to mince.
- About halfway through mincing, add the lemon zest and grated garlic. A Microplane zester makes quick work of the grated garlic and lemon zest.
- Continue mincing until the herb are finely chopped.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
