Whether it’s juicy meats, tasty seafood, hearty stews, fragrant curries, or perfectly seasoned rice, every bite is a treat. Why? What’s their secret? It’s simple: they use Green Seasoning, which goes beyond just salt and pepper to give their dishes that extra kick. Look at this heaping bottle of Green seasoning. It’s a Caribbean essential. This is a powerhouse of flavors coming from fresh herbs and aromatics, all bottled together. Everything fresh, vibrant and just screaming FLAVORS. This green bottle has different names going from island to island. Haitians may call it Epis. Purto Ricans or Cubans know it as their beloved sofrito or Recaito. That bottle might have plus or minus a few ingredients. But no Caribbean household ‘pot’ is complete without the generous presence of this green magic. This is what gives so much depth and flavor to their food. They literally use this in E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Well then, if you want to jazz up that bland food a tad bit, let’s learn more about the green seasoning. This one comes from a special place in their heart…
What is Green Seasoning?
Green seasoning is like the secret sauce of Caribbean cooking, and it’s a must-have in my kitchen. While each island has its own version, Trinidad is known for its special blend. It’s made with simple ingredients like onion, garlic, peppers, ginger, and herbs. I love using it as a marinade for meats and seafood, and it adds amazing flavor to stews, curries, soups, rice dishes, and more. My favorite way so far is to use this in this super tasty Trinidadian Curry Chicken. This chicken stew is breeze to make once you have your green sauce ready.
Ingredients Needed
Scallions or Green onions Garlic Ginger Cilantro Culantro – Or chadon beni as Trinis call it. Optional, if you can find it. It’s like cilantro but stronger. Parsley Thyme Bell peppers (we use all colors ) Cubanelle peppers Hot pepper – habanero. Lemon juice
How to make Green seasoning
Once you decide what you are blending together, it’s just a matter of blending everything in your food processor or blender. Just a few tips:
- I start by washing all herbs and peppers and pat them dry.
- I first chop all the ingredients roughly, to make them easier to process and blend. Since this recipe makes a lot, I sometimes need to work in batches. After blending everything, I stir it all together in a large bowl to ensure it’s consistently blended.
- I like chunkier and thick green seasoning, rather than smooth and runny. That being said, blend to your desired consistency. You might need a little water to make everything come together.
- I like to store my green seasoning in clean glass jars, preferably Mason jars. Some folks opt for plastic squirt bottles too. It stays fresh in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. If you don’t use it often, it freezes beautifully. I usually divide it into smaller portions, either in jars or ice cube trays. After they’re frozen solid, I transfer the cubes into freezer bags for easy storage.
Some variations
I suggest making this seasoning with your favorite herbs and things that you commonly use in your cooking. Having this vibrant green bottle in my fridge is like having a taste of the Caribbean ready whenever I want it. It’s filled with fresh herbs and spices that bring out that authentic island flavor in my cooking. GypsyPlate is coming up with all kinds of curries and stews from the Caribbean in the future, and all of them will take a generous scoop out of this bottle. Stay tuned and subscribe to get them straight to your email. Step up your game up a notch and cook with fresh herbs. Why? Fresh is always better!
Trinidadian Green Seasoning, in our Gypsy Bowl… enjoy!
Love sauces? Try some of our others from around the world:Jamaican Jerk MarinadeCilantro Mint ChutneyPuerto Rican SofritoNorth African ChermoulaPeri Peri Sauce5 Minute PestoCuban Mojo Marinade
