What is charmoula sauce? Magic. Pure magic. It’s a simple, no-cook sauce made by combining fresh herbs, chilies, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.

This recipe first appeared in The Lazy Gourmet, the book I wrote with my dear friend and former co-blogger, Juliana. We first developed the recipe as a sauce for lamb burgers.

It was so crazy delicious that we realized we had to suggest other ways to use it, like dolloping it into our Moroccan Chickpea Stew and tossing it with cooked pasta. Or spoon it over Lamb Kofta Kebabs.

How do you use chermoula?

Charmoula is so versatile that it can be used as a finishing sauce for cooked meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables; a marinade for meat, poultry, and fish; a dipping sauce for bread or vegetables; a flavorful garnish for soups and stews; or a salad dressing. I mean, really, what CAN’T chermoula do?

Charmoula, also called chermoula, comes from North Africa—Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. You can also find versions of it across the Mediterranean Sea in the South of France.

This bright green sauce is loaded with flavor. I like to use it as a finishing sauce for grilled steak or fish. It completely transforms a bowl of lentil soup or stewed white beans.

You could use it as a dip for fried or roasted vegetables, or even tofu strips (yes, it can even make tofu outrageously delicious).

Make a batch of this spicy, tangy, herby sauce and keep it in the refrigerator. It will last up to a week and you’ll find a million ways to use it.

What ingredients do you need to make chermoula sauce?

• Garlic
• Jalapeño or serrano pepper
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Paprika
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil

More great recipes you’ll love

• North African Roasted Carrot Spread
• Israeli Salad with Feta and Egg
• Super Lemony Trout Spread
• Matzoh Fattouch or Passover Bread Salad