Author: Platt, Sarah

Ever wondered what’s in salsa verde?

Here’s our go-to recipe for salsa verde using the fresh tomatillos we have growing in the garden.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb tomatillos, halved (about one dozen medium-sized)
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion, chopped (medium-sized)
  • 2 cloves (or more) garlic, whole
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1-2 limes juiced, or to taste)
  • 2 Jalapeño peppers, 2 serrano peppers, or one of each (depending on your heat tolerance), stemmed, seeded and chopped (you can use whole for more heat if you want)
  • Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)

Instructions:

First, peel the papery leaves off the tomatillos and rinse them well. You can choose to either oven roast them or skillet sear them. Cut your tomatillos in half and place the cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Add a few whole garlic cloves to infuse the fruits while baking. Place them under a broiler for about 6 minutes to lightly blacken the skins. If you prefer your stovetop, coat the bottom of a skillet with some sunflower oil and turn up the heat to medium/high. Place the tomatillos in the pan and sear them on one side with a few whole garlic cloves, then flip them over to brown on the other side and remove from the heat. Make sure you don’t overcook them so all the juices spill out and cook in the pan. The fruits should remain intact, just deflate, and change color. Once the roasted tomatillos have cooled down slightly, pulse them with the lime juice, onions, garlic cloves, cilantro, jalapeños (or serranos if heat isn’t your thing) in a blender or a food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped and mixed well. Finally, add about a teaspoon of salt to bring out all of the flavors and cool it in the refrigerator for about 3 hours before serving.