Salsa Verde – Once Upon a Chef
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Bursting with tanginess, smokiness, and a hint of fiery heat, this salsa verde is delicious with just about everything, from chips to tacos and more.
While traditional salsa features a tomato base, salsa verde, which translates to “green salsa,” gets its name from the predominant use of green ingredients. It is made with tomatillos, a small green fruit with a tart flavor, as the primary ingredient along with green chili peppers, such as jalapeños or serranos, cilantro, onions, garlic, and lime juice. Salsa verde has a tangy, zesty flavor with a smoky undertone achieved by roasting the vegetables. Of course it’s delicious with tortilla chips, but there are endless other ways to enjoy it: use it as a sauce for enchiladas, quesadillas, or tacos, drizzle it over carne asada or chicken fajitas, or spoon it over rice. You really can’t go wrong!
What you’ll need to make salsa verde
The main ingredient in salsa verde is tomatillos, a tart Mexican fruit that resembles small green tomatoes covered by a papery husk. They’re related to tomatoes but have a distinctive tart flavor. (Note that they are not the same as green tomatoes, which are simply unripe tomatoes.) You can find tomatillos in most grocery stores. Select ones that are bright green, firm but not rock-hard, and bulging from their husks — and try to get tomatillos that are fairly uniform in size so that they roast evenly.
Before using tomatillos, remove the papery husk. You’ll notice that they have a sticky substance on the surface — just rinse them under water and it will come right off.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Place the tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeño pepper, and oil directly on the prepared baking sheet and toss with your hands or a rubber spatula. Broil until softened and charred, 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt, cumin, sugar, and cilantro.
Pulse until chunky, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Transfer the salsa to a bowl and serve warm, at room temperature, or slightly chilled.
Video Tutorial
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Salsa Verde
Bursting with tanginess, smokiness, and a hint of fiery heat, this salsa verde is delicious with just about everything, from chips to tacos and more.
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 jalapeño pepper, left whole (or remove the ribs and seeds for a mild salsa)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus a bit more for serving
Instructions
- Set an oven rack about 5 inches beneath the heating element and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Place the tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeño pepper and oil directly on the prepared baking sheet and toss with your hands or a rubber spatula. Broil until softened and slightly charred, 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt, cumin, sugar, and cilantro and pulse until chunky. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired. Serve the salsa warm, at room temperature, or slightly chilled.
- Note: This recipe is not meant for canning.
- Make Ahead: The salsa can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The salsa can be frozen in an airtight for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving. (Some of the liquid may separate out when it’s defrosted, or it might get a bit watery, but you can correct that by reheating it.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 53
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 153 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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