Green Salsa Verde
Salsas are one of the saviors of the kitchen. Baptize anything in a little salsa and you’ll up the flavor quotient and make it sing… as well as help stretch a meal.
Green Salsa and leftover ground beef make a great taco filling. Eggs, salsa and cheese: breakfast of champions.
Fresh Green Salsa Verde is my favorite cooked salsa because the tomatillos have such a distinctive flavor. The citrus balances the sharp bite of the Serrano or jalapeño chili peppers and the herbal, grassy flavor of the cilantro. This recipe makes a big batch… share it, freeze it or grab a big bag of chips and park yourself in front of the games this weekend!
Salsa Verde
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 30 minutes
makes: about 6 cups
you’ll need…
3 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
2 oz. serrano or jalapeño chili peppers, stem removed
6 cloves garlic, whole
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 lime, cut in half
let’s get to it…
Place husked tomatillos, chili peppers and garlic in a large pot and cover with water by about ½-inch. Boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft but not broken, stirring often so all sides of tomatillos cook evenly. Reserve 1 cup of water; drain remaining water and set pot aside to use later.
Blend the tomatillos, chili peppers and garlic in batches in a blender or food processor until chunky, but not smooth. Add reserved water a little at a time if salsa is too thick.
Heat the same large pot on medium-high for 1 minute; add olive oil and onions and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatillo mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro and salt.
Squeeze lime into salsa and stir; cool. Store in a tightly sealed container or serve immediately.
cooking know how…
- Salsa verde will get thick and a bit gelatinous when it is chilled. Bring to room temperature or heat up slightly before using.
- Store tomatillos in an open paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
