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Raw or roasted, salsa verde is a great summer treat

August 7, 2014 by Amy Langrehr

 

Tomatillos

Salsa Verde is a great thing to have around and in the summer – so much brighter and lighter than the usual salsa.
You can get fresh local tomatillos at your local farmers market right now. Check out this great version from Rick Bayless.

Ingredients:

8 ounces (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh hot green chiles, to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro (thick stems removed), roughly chopped
Scant 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Salt

Directions:

Whether you choose the verdant, slushy, herby freshness of the all-raw tomatillo salsa or the oil-colored, voluptuous, sweet-sour richness of the roasted version, tomatillos are about brightening tang. The buzz of the fresh hot green chile adds thrill, all of which adds up to a condiment most of us simply don’t want to live without.

For the All-Raw version: Roughly chop the tomatillos and the chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and 1/4 cup water. Process to a coarse puree, then scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.

For the Roasted version:

Preheat a broiler.

Roast the tomatillos at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are soft. Be careful not to overcook. You can also simply blanch them for a few minutes in boiling water. That will give you less roasted flavor but great brightness. I prefer not to roast mine.

Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos and chiles, including all the delicious juice that has run onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, blend to a coarse puree, and scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.

salsa verde

Category: Recipes + Cooking

About Amy Langrehr

Collaborator, cook, writer, Baltimorean

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Comments

  1. hjacqmin

    August 7, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    You should probably credit Rick Bayless with the recipe, since he’s the one who actually wrote it (along with all of the text starting from the list of ingredients).

    I’ve made the roasted version several times: it’s delicious!

    Reply

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