Salsa Verde

Made with roasted tomatillos, the flavor of this salsa verde is so fresh and vibrant. Tangy, with just the right amount of heat, this green salsa is deliciously addictive.

Oct 10, 2023

If you’ve never made salsa verde before, it’s time. This pleasantly spiced, incredibly fresh, and bright salsa is so easy to make that I’m quite confident you’ll never buy the jarred stuff again.

Salsa verde features tomatillos (pronounced “toe-mah-TEE-yos”). Sometimes referred to as husk tomatoes, tomatillos are small, bright green fruit encased in a thin, papery husk. They look like green tomatoes and have a slightly tart, tangy, citrus flavor. Providing dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, tomatillos range in size from a golf ball to a large plum. Smaller tomatillos tend to be a bit sweeter than larger ones.

Fresh tomatillos can be found in most grocery stores and in Latin markets. I usually find them near the jalapeño peppers in the produce section. When selecting tomatillos, take a peek under the husk and make sure that they’re bright green with smooth skin; they should also be very firm. Before using, remove the inedible husk and wash well to remove the stickiness found on the skin.

When making salsa verde, I like to roast the tomatillos in the oven. I find roasting deepens the flavor and adds a richness to the sauce. To roast them, simply toss the husked, cleaned, and halved tomatillos in a small amount of oil and lay them, cut side down, on a sheet pan. You want the skin to brown slightly and the flesh to soften. This takes about 15 minutes.

Once the roasted tomatillos have cooled, place them in a food processor or blender along with the jalapeño peppers (use serrano if you want more heat), onion, cilantro, and garlic. Process to your desired consistency, transfer the salsa to a bowl, and stir in the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cumin. I like stirring in these ingredients at the end because it gives me more control over the taste of the salsa. If the tomatillos were a little sweeter, I might skip adding the sugar. If I’m looking for additional tang, I might add extra lime juice or vinegar.

Once you’ve tasted this salsa verde, you’ll be spooning it over everything – tacos, fajitas, grilled chicken, rice, roasted potatoes, and even scrambled eggs. Store leftover salsa in the refrigerator for up to five days. Don’t be surprised if the texture becomes somewhat gelled after it’s cooled. Tomatillos contain pectin which causes the salsa to thicken. Just give it a really good stir before serving. I did a freezer test with this salsa and while the flavor was great, the texture was a bit clumpy and didn’t come together very well after stirring.

To your health,

Darlene

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SALSA VERDE

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 3 tablespoons

Prep: 10 minutes

Ready: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (about 8 medium size) fresh tomatillos
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
Parchment paper or vegetable oil cooking spray
2 jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped (keep ribs and seeds for additional heat)
1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 to 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse, and slice in half. Add halved tomatillos to a bowl, drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Place tomatillos, cut side down, on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until skin begins to brown and flesh softens. Remove from oven and allow tomatillos to cool.
Place cooled tomatillo halves, jalapeño peppers, onion, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Cover and process to desired consistency. Transfer salsa verde to a bowl and add lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir well before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving

36 Calories, 1.5 g Total fat, 0 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 182 mg Sodium, 6 g Total carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary fiber, 3 g Total sugars, 0.5 g Added sugars, 1 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 10 mg (0%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 188 mg (4%) Potassium