Sunday, August 2, 2009

Salsa Verde / Tomatillo Sauce

tomatillo sauce

A while back when shopping at a latin market we saw a women loading several bag fulls of tomatillos so we struck up up conversation asking her what she does with them..."salsa verde" with cilantro, jalepenos, onions, garlic, and lime she said, reciting her recipe by heart. We thanked her and as she carted her bags of tomatillos away, saying as if she guaranteed it, "it's delicious." Now we totally agree with her.

Tomatillos are relatives of tomatoes but are not young unripe tomatoes. They have a paper like husk and should be bright green and firm. When removing the husk there can be a slightly sticky film on the tomatillo so wash well. It has a great fresh and tart flavor.

tomatillo sauce

Salsa Verde/Tomatillo Sauce (adapted from Boy Meets Grill, Bobby Flay)
Printable Recipe
  • 6 tomatillos, husked and washed
  • 1/2 large red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
In a pot of boiling water, cook tomatillos for about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for a few minutes. Alternatively, split and you can roast it under the broiler for about 5-7 min, flipping once. Place tomatillos in a food processor and puree with garlic, jalapeno, oil, and cilantro to desired chunkiness. Transfer to a large bowl and add lime juice. Add kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge for about 2-3 hrs in fridge. Serve with tortilla chips or on tacos, burritos, or fajita's.

grand canyon, mohave point sunset
One last photo from our vacation: Grand Canyon Mohave Point at 1/2 hour before sunset

Also try our other Latin American Sauces: Chimichurri Sauce and Peruvian Aji Amarillo


12 comments:

  1. Fresh homemade tomatillo salsa verde is so good! Try roasting the tomatillos next time.

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  2. Kevin: You're absolutely right. Roasting is another great option. We've also like it raw as part of pico de gallo.

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  3. I love your story. Historically people have passed recipes through word of mouth.

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  4. mmmm I love salsa verde on my omelet, thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe.

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  5. Jackie: That's how our mom tells her recipes...it's all in her head...and typically with no measurements. Just a bit of this and that!

    veggie belly: Thank you! These taste great fresh as well.

    Thuy: That's a great idea to use salsa verde!

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  6. I would love to try this if I can get my hands on some tomatillos. They are quite hard to find in Oz you know?

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  7. I love discovering recipes in unexpected places, from random people. Its fantastic that you found this one and loved it :) Looks good!

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  8. Anh: We're pretty fortunate that we have easy access to tomatillos. We live only about a couple of miles from mercados. Try looking into international markets.

    Miakoda: We found that people are more open to sharing recipes at supermarkets especially little old ladies:)

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  9. Loving the pics. Tomatillo salsa is one of my favorites. Love making it especially roasted with roasted jalapenos and well roasted everything.

    Nicely done!

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  10. Jeff: Thank you! We'll have to try to roast the tomatillos and jalapenos next time!

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  11. Have you ever tried this with roasted green chilis added? If not, could you suggest one to try in this recipe?

    Love your blog!

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