Chermoula sauce (for vegetables)

Chermoula sauce is an interesting herb-based sauce that adds a burst of flavor to grilled, roasted or steamed vegetables! I first tried this simple 5-minute sauce on green beans and carrots, but now this post has many more ideas for vegetables to enjoy with Chermoula sauce.

PIN Chermoula Sauce (for Vegetables) to try later!

Chermoula sauce is the perfect way to add great flavor to grilled, roasted or steamed vegetables. And I don’t know of any awards for interesting sauces to spice up your side dishes, but if there were, I’d nominate this easy herb sauce!

And when I say the Chermoula sauce is interesting, I mean we couldn’t stop eating it. When Jake and I first tried this, we kept noticing how ordinary steamed green beans and carrots were transformed into something amazing by the tasty Chermoula sauce.

If you’re a fan of cilantro and parsley and you’ve never tried this easy 5-ingredient herb sauce, you need to make one soon! And see below for lots of vegetable options that you can serve with this delicious sauce!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is just a list of ingredients; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you use the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the full recipe.)

What is Chermoula sauce:

Chermoula (also spelled Charmoula) is also called coriander pesto, and it is a North African sauce made from chopped herbs and spices. It is sometimes served as a sauce with fish or meat, but I especially love it with vegetables. And Chermoula is similar to Chimichurri Sauce, a South American sauce served on meat.

Can you make Chermoula sauce without coriander?

If you’re not a cilantro fan, there are versions of Chermoula sauce that use more parsley and less cilantro, and even some versions with just parsley. Feel free to make those changes and adjust the sauce ingredients to your taste.

Some vegetables to serve with Chermoula sauce:

I suspect that if you like cilantro and parsley, you’ll love Chermoula sauce on almost any kind of vegetable. But it’s especially delicious with roasted or grilled vegetables, including green beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, squash, carrots, eggplant, turnips and Brussels sprouts.

What else can you eat with Chermoula sauce?

In this post I’m focusing on the deliciousness of Chermoula sauce with vegetables. But Chermoula is often served with fish and also goes well with grilled or roasted chicken, lamb or beef.

How to make Chermoula sauce for vegetables:

(This is just a summary of the steps for the recipe; scroll down for the full printable recipe. Or if you use the GO TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the full recipe.)

Measure the chopped garlic or chop the garlic finely.
If necessary, wash the coriander and parsley, spin dry and chop coarsely.
Add garlic, coriander and parsley to the food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs and garlic look finely chopped.
I used my favorite Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco; use olive oil with a good taste.
Then add the olive oil, lemon juice (I use my fresh frozen lemon juice), paprika powder and ground cumin and pulse until all ingredients are combined.
I would start with the smaller amount of paprika and cumin and taste to see if you want more, and also if you want a little more lemon or olive oil
Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
To serve: arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with the Chermoula sauce, reserving some to serve at the table.

The first way I tried to use Chermoula sauce:

I first used Chermoula sauce on these steamed green beans and carrots. See NOTES in the full recipe below for cooking instructions for that.

More fresh herb sauces you might like:

I have been a lover of fresh herbs for years and I also enjoy making basil vinaigrette, basil pesto with lemon, chimichurri sauce, basil and kale pesto, easy gremolata sauce, spinach basil pesto and garlic scape pesto.

Ingredients

2 T minced garlic (more or less to taste)
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley (see notes)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
1/2 tsp. hot or smoked paprika powder (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin (more or less to taste).
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Measure the minced garlic or chop 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic.
Wash the coriander and parsley if necessary, spin dry in the salad spinner and chop coarsely.
Add garlic, chopped coriander and chopped parsley to the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the herbs and garlic look finely chopped.
I used my favorite Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco for this recipe; It is important to use olive oil with a good taste.

Then add the olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice or frozen lemon juice, paprika powder and ground cumin and pulse until all ingredients are combined.
I would start with the smaller amount of paprika and cumin and taste to see if you want more.
Also taste to see if you would like some lemon or olive oil
Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, arrange grilled, roasted, or steamed vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with Chermoula sauce, reserving some to pass at the table.
See the comments below for the original recipe for Steamed Green Bean Roots, where I used Chermoula sauce for the first time.

Comments

I used my fresh frozen lemon juice.

This recipe makes almost two cups of Chermoula sauce, or a generous amount for about 8 servings of vegetables. Chermoula sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for a day, but probably not much longer than that.

USING CHERMOULA SAUCE ON STEAMED GREEN BEANS AND CARROTS:

We used thin green beans, regular beans may need to cook a little longer.
Start by cutting off the ends of the green beans, then cut the carrots into thin strips that are the same thickness as the beans. (I cut the carrots a little shorter than the beans.)
I used a vegetable steamer that I inherited from my stepmother Norma, but if you don’t have a steamer you can hang one with a small metal colander in a pan. The pan you use for steaming must have a lid.
Fill the steamer or pan with water and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat to low, but still at a level where there is some steam.
Start by steaming the carrots first as they take longer to cook.
(Start making the Chermoula sauce while you steam the carrots.)
Once the carrots have steamed for about 3 minutes, add the beans and steam for another 4-5 minutes.
The vegetables should be slightly tender and crispy; check on one after four minutes to see how they are doing.
When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, drain the cooked vegetables for a few minutes and then mix them with about half of the Chermoula sauce.
Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with the remainder of the Chermoula sauce. Serve hot or hot.

Recipe from Happy cooking with minor adjustments by Kalyn.

Nutritional information

Yield

Portion size

Quantity per serving

Calories 127Total fat 14 grSaturated fat 2gUnsaturated fat 11gSodium 77mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 1gSugar 0 gramsEgg white 0 grams

Nutritional information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I use. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy as many variables influence these calculations.

Square image of Chermoula sauce depicted in serving bowl on striped napkin.

Suggestions for a low-carb diet/low glycemic diet/South Beach diet:
Chermoula sauce is a low-carb fresh herb sauce that is perfect for low-carb or Keto diet plans. It’s a bit high in fat for the Original South Beach Diet, although all the fat comes from olive oil.

Find more recipes like this:
Use Side Dishes for more recipes like this. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTokor on YouTube to see all the good recipes I share there.

Historical notes on this recipe
This recipe for Chermoula sauce was posted in 2011. It was last updated with more information in 2025.

Pinterest image of Chermoula sauce with sauce in serving bowl.