• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mutt & Chops

Food with purpose and sometimes re-purpose

  • Home
  • Previous Posts
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Entrée
    • Sides
    • Salads
    • Breads
    • Desserts
    • Snacks and Party Food
    • Drinks and Cocktails
    • Re-Purposed
    • Besides Food
  • About
  • Contact Mutt & Chops

Easy Salsa Verde

July 5, 2017 by Lori Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Salsa verde in a canning jar

I love salsa verde.  There’s just something about its sweet-tart, acidic tang, and the way the flavor seems to shake up your taste buds with an addictive need to have a some more, and then maybe just a little more again.  All in all, I think it is quite brilliant, and one of my favorite things to dip a chip into.

I don’t know why, given how much I love salsa verde, it took me years to get around to making it.  Whenever I had Mexican food anywhere, if there was a choice between regular salsa and salsa verde, my chip went verde first and most frequently.  I suppose that part of my avoidance had to do with  a certain amount of ignorance.  When I was younger, I’m not even sure I knew what tomatillos were, much less that they were the primary ingredient in salsa verde.

But when I worked at the Whole Foods Market corporate office in Austin, the store downstairs sold breakfast tacos.  And they offered a delicious salsa verde to go with the breakfast tacos.  It was while enjoying a breakfast taco with salsa verde that I had my light bulb moment.  Something that good was worth making at home, so I started researching recipes.

I have tried making it in different ways.  Some recipes called for sauteing the tomatillos and onions before blending them.  Other recipes had you boiling the tomatillos in liquid and then processing them, liquid an all.  Given that they all have the same basic ingredients, they were all pretty tasty.  But I like this recipe the best.

I like this recipe primarily because it is delicious.  But after that, I like this recipe because it is very quick and easy.  And it calls for roasting the tomatillos under high heat so that the bits of charred skin get blended into the mix.  That gives it an extra layer of flavor.  And finally, broiled tomatillos still retain some of their texture, which in my mind, makes a difference in the quality of the final salsa.

let’s make some salsa verde

Ingredients for salsa verde

I like a little zap in my salsa verde, so I have to add some heat.   Many of the other recipes I have tried called for jalapeños.  Or sometimes jalapeños and poblanos.  I happen to like it with a nice serrano pepper.  Mainly because it is a little hotter than the jalapeño.  Also because the jalapeño is bigger and therefore has more fleshy meat.  Which means you taste more of it.  I like to taste primarily tomatillo in my salsa verde.  I want that fruity tang to shine through without tasting too much chili.  So, for me, the serrano works best.

If you don’t like heat, omit the chili.  If you like a lot of heat, use two.  I used one serrano, with only the stem removed, keeping the ribs and seeds.

Broiled tomatillos and serrano pepper

Start by placing the tomatillos and chili on a rimmed baking sheet, and roasting it about 4 inches under the broiler.  Broil for about 5-6 minutes, then flip and broil the other side for the same amount of time.

Roasted tomatillos and serrano in the food processor with onion and garlic

Cut the stem off of the serrano, then transfer the tomatillos and chili to the bowl of a food processor, making sure to also transfer any juices released during the roasting process.  You want to keep all that yummy flavor.

Add the onions and garlic.

Processed tomatillos, serrano, onion and garlic in the food processor

Pulse several times to process everything.

Processed salsa verde in the food processor

Then add the cilantro, some salt, and half of the lime juice and pulse again until everything is incorporated.

At this point, I test it for the salt and lime juice.  Tomatillos, especially ones that have not been completely cooked, have a tang of their own.  Too much lime juice will make your salsa verde too sour.  So taste it and adjust lime juice and salt until the balance is to your preference.  I ended up using 1 teaspoon of lime juice for this batch.

At this point, you can serve your salsa verde or add it to whatever dish you may be making.  It should be slightly warm still from the broiled tomatillos.  Or you can chill it and serve it cold.  If you want a creamy salsa, you can add a couple of heaping tablespoons of sour cream after it is chilled.  But I prefer it just like this.

Bowl of salsa verde with tortilla chips, dipping a chip

It didn’t take me long to get a chip into that bowl of goodness.  I ate it while it was still warm.

And then I ate it again later that night when it was nice and chilled.

And I’m going to make some breakfast tacos tomorrow so I will consume some more of this delicousness with my breakfast tacos.

Basically, it will get eaten until every last drop is gone.  Did I tell you how much I LOVE salsa verde?  Take my word for it.

Bowl of salsa verde

Make yourself a quick batch.  It takes no time at all!  Then you get to eat yours until it is all gone too!

Salsa verde in a canning jar with text banner

 

Salsa verde in a canning jar

Easy Salsa Verde

Lori
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 17 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound fresh tomatillos husked and rinsed
  • 1 large serrano chili omit or use more, if desired
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro packed, thick stems removed
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (more or less to taste
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • Place an oven rack 4 inches below the top heating element and set the oven to broil.
  • Arrange the tomatillos and serrano in a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 6 minutes.
  • Turn the tomatillos and the serrano over and broil the other side for another 6 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, cut the stem off the serrano, and transfer the tomatillos, serrano, and any juices released during roasting into the bowl of a food processor.
  • Add the onions and the garlic.
  • Pulse until everything is incorporated.
  • Add the cilantro, some salt, and part of the lime juice.
  • Pulse to incorporate then taste.
  • Adjust salt and lime juice as needed.
  • Pulse one final time.
  • Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Yield may vary, depend on the number, size , and ripeness of the tomatillos.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: Sides, Snacks and Party Food Tagged With: Chili, Chips and Salsa, Dip, Green Salsa, Mexican Food, Salsa, Salsa Verde, Serrano Chili, Tomatillos

Previous Post: « Grilled Pineapple
Next Post: Texas Breakfast Tacos »

Reader Interactions

Other Posts

Wilted arugula and bacon salad in a platter
Back yard view
Watermelon cocktail in a glass with ice, garnished with a wedge of watermelon and mint
Feature image of salad on a plate with chopsticks
Combo White Pizza
Turkey lettuce wrap on a plate
Triple berry cream tart on a table
Prepared tomato watermelon feta salad on a serving platter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Mutt & Chops!

Lori and her two mutts

Hi! I love cooking tasty food from scratch, re-purposing leftovers, and trying food from different cultures. Oh! And I love my little mutts too! Read more…

Subscribe for email updates of new recipes!




Top Posts & Pages

  • Shrimp spring rolls on a cutting board, with mint sprigs and peanut dipping sauce Lower Carb Shrimp Spring Rolls
  • Blueberry cheesecake shooters feature image Blueberry Cheesecake Shooters
  • Passion fruit mousse on doilies Passion Fruit Mousse – Quick and Simple
  • Feature image of the Béarnaise compound butter, with a slice cutt off, on a an antique cutting board. Béarnaise Compound Butter – The Flavor of Béarnaise Sauce without the Fuss
  • Kolache featured image Sausage Kolaches
  • Baked Portuguese pizza with one slice cut, portrait orientation Portuguese Pizza (Pizza à Portuguesa)
  • Baked parmesan and panko tilapia feature image Baked Tilapia with Parmesan and Panko Crust
  • Salmon and herb pizza feature image Salmon and Herb Pizza
  • Pizza biancaneve cut with a slice being served Pizza Biancaneve (White Pizza)
  • Balsamic fried cabbage in a serving bowl, feature image Balsamic Fried Cabbage with Applewood Smoked Bacon
  • Flatbread pizza feature image Flatbread Pizza with Beef, Mushroom, and Caramelized Onions
  • Feature image of plated cioppino in a bowl with grilled sourdough crostini Easy Cioppino – A Delicious Seafood Stew
  • Pork tenderloin sandwich with fries Iowa-Style Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
  • Brazilian Beef Stroganoff Brazilian Beef Stroganoff (Estrogonofe de Carne)
  • Platter of boneless, skinless chicken thighs Grilled, Boneless Chicken Thighs
  • Carrot Cake with Apricot Filling Carrot Cake with Apricot Filling
  • Pate chaud featured image Pate Chaud (Bánh Patê Sô)
  • Sliced sausage breakfast pizza on a pizza peel Sausage Breakfast Pizza with Country Gravy
  • Shrimp stuffed mushrooms Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Feature image of polenta on a platter next to a glass of chardonnay Lori’s Fried Polenta

Search

Archives

By Category

By Date

Footer

Connect

Lori is a self-taught cook, homemaker, and a refugee from the corporate world. Read More…

Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
Cookie Information
Privacy Tools

© Lori Kemph and Mutt & Chops, 2016-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lori Kemph and Mutt & Chops with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. View our cookie information page for more information. You can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
222 shares
  • 100
  • 7