This no-cook Tomatillo Salsa Verde tastes as fresh as its ingredients—tomatillos, peppers, red onion, garlic and cilantro. Serve it with chips or over chicken, chops, fish, scrambled eggs… Recipe below.
I am officially smitten with tomatillos. The lively, citrusy relative of the tomato, a key ingredient in Mexican and Central American cooking, is as versatile as it is easy to work with. Apparently I’m not alone in my infatuation. When I told colleagues last week of my Chicken Chili Verde adventures, one said she’d made a big pot of her own the week before. And my creative director shared his go-to salsa recipe, a no-cook salsa verde made of tomatillos and just four other ingredients, one of them being salt.
My own version adds one more ingredient to the list, and the only one that doesn’t come from a plant is salt. Nothing is cooked. You cut up a few things, throw them in a food processor or blender and hit the pulse button maybe a dozen times. Done.
Pulsing (instead of puréeing) will create the nice granular texture you see in the photo. If you prefer a smoother, more saucy salsa, you can purée it, adding a little water or lime juice if needed.
Tomatillos are the star of this salsa, but all the ingredients make important contributions. Cilantro adds its own citrus/sage/parsley note. Red onion and garlic deliver some bite. And jalapeño or Serrano peppers bring the heat (you can control the heat by using all, some or none of the seeds and ribs in the peppers) along with distinct peppery taste. The salt does what it does best—bringing out the other ingredients’ flavors.
Regarding the heat, peppers vary in their heat. Right now, the jalapeños we’re getting run hot. I used half the seeds and ribs of a jalapeño pepper, and it provided plenty of kick.
Get creative. This salsa—and for that matter, most salsas, whether homemade or store-bought—can go way beyond the party table. Spoon salsa over scrambled eggs or refried beans. Or pork chops, grilled chicken or pan-seared tilapia fillets. You can even stir some into cottage cheese for a lively, healthy snack.
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Makes a generous cup of salsa
about 1/2 pound tomatillos (4 to 6, depending on size)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño or 2 Serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded (or not) and chopped
1/2 to 2/3 cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Husk, rinse and quarter tomatillos. Place in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add all other ingredients. Pulse until you reach desired consistency, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. The tomatillos will break down surprisingly quickly, so keep an eye on your salsa. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, if needed.
Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
This looks great! Love the fresh flavors of a homemade salsa. Tomato salsa is a regular at our house. Tomatillo? Buy it in the jar, just don’t make it for some reason. But that will change! Really, really nice — thanks.
Although I have liked the flavor in a number of dishes in the past, I have never, ever purchased or sliced or pulsed (or etc.) a tomatillo. I would have no idea how to pick one, tell if it’s ripe or rotten. Any favorite insights?
John, we go through long periods of no salsa in the house, so we need to get over that.
Anita, look for tomatillos that are firm, but not necessarily rock hard. The husks should be dry, papery and fairly intact. Splits in the ends are fine, but try not yo get totally peeled tomatillos. All that said, they seem really forgiving, so just play and have fun!
So glad to see you continuing on your tomatilla journey. They are such a one of a kind flavor. Even though I live in a fairly ethnic community, and they are always available, I often forget to use them. Thank you for reminding me to use them more.
Anita, don’t be alarmed that tomatillas feel sort of sticky when you peel off the husks. That is how they are supposed to be and that’s what gives the great texture to the salsa. It’s almost like a little okra thing going on.
Thanks, Jeri! I forgot to mention the sticky thing.