Salsa Verde, Green Tomatillo Sauce
A dear friend from my dad’s coffee group invited us last weekend to her home for margaritas. Since the theme was Mexican, I offered to bring my signature cheese enchiladas. I could've topped the enchiladas with Herdez’s Salsa Verde, but this sauce leaves a bitter aftertaste in my opinion. So, I whipped out my green sauce recipe and wasn’t disappointed by the pleasant ratio of tomatillos, pepper, onion, cilantro to garlic. The key is broiling the veggies until they’re charred, lending a smoky flavor to this salsa. Also, I use only ripe tomatillos as young tomatoes leave even more of a sour taste. That acidic note, which I find is already present with the tomatoes, is the reason why I don’t use lime or lemon juice. Note: this salsa will have a slight sour note whatever you do, but if it’s too bitter, I add a tad more salt rather than sugar. If you have a tip, share it with us!
Ingredients
- 12 medium tomatillos, green tomatoes
- 1 large poblano pepper
- 1 medium white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3-4 T. cilantro
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ¼ t. or more sea salt
Directions
- Step 1 Set your oven function to broil on high.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, remove the husks from the tomatillos and place them whole in a large mixing bowl. Then, cut the onion into rings and separate the concentric rings, adding them to the bowl, too. Next, cut off the root end of the garlic and take the blunt end of your knife and use the palm of your hand to crush it. Peel off the loose skin and add to the bowl, too. Finally, cut the tip and top off the poblano pepper and remove the seeds and pith or ribs. Cut into strips lengthwise and then, chop horizontally to dice the pepper. Toss into the mixing bowl. Afterwards, measure out the oil and use your hands to coat the tomatillos, garlic, onion, and pepper. Transfer to a large broiling pan.
- Step 3 Broil the veggies on high for approximately 5-7 minutes at a 6-inch distance from the heating element. Check on them regularly during the broiling process to prevent burning. Remove from oven and use metal thongs to turn over or remove the charred vegetables, when they’re soft and spotted brown. Return to oven and broil until all are done. Let the vegetables cool for 20 minutes or so before puréeing if you have a plastic blender. Meanwhile, chop and add the cilantro to the veggies.
- Step 4 When the veggies have slightly cooled, use a slatted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the basin of your blender while you drain off and reserve the juice of the tomatillos. Purée the contents first without the extra juice, and if it is too thick for your taste, pour in the reserved juice. Serve as a salsa for chips or a sauce for my cheese enchiladas (see recipe under Central American). Add salt to season and enjoy!
- Step 5 Note: this sauce is mild as is. However, it can be made spicy if you add 1-2 serrano peppers.
I find that salsa verde can be unpleasantly acidic, but here, I temper the typical sour note by omitting the lime juice and pairing it with ripe, charred tomatillos and a dash of salt instead of sugar. Use this as a dip on chips or to coat my Rich and Creamy Cheese Enchiladas (see recipe under Central American).
Nutritional Information: serving size: ¼ cup, servings per recipe: 16, calories: 49, total fat: 4.5 g., saturated fat: 0.6 g., cholesterol: 0 mg., sodium: 9 mg., total carbohydrate: 2.6 g., dietary fiber: 0.9 g., total sugars: 0.3 g., protein: 0.4 g., calcium: 5 mg., iron: 0 mg., potassium: 89 mg., vitamin D: 0 mcg.