Tomatillo Salsa

One of my favorite things my mom made for us was her tomatillo salsa. I have always wanted to give it a shot myself and put my own spin on it. There are hundreds of renditions of salsa verde recipes out there you can find and use. However, I love the bright, acidic, garlicky salsa this recipe produces.

Use a small grill top or roast your veggies in the oven at 400 degrees until blistered.

What makes a tomatillo salsa authentic?

Everyone has their own special take on their own salsa recipe. Personally, I have always loved lots of lime, garlic and cilantro. I enjoy the heat that comes from the jalapeño and the Anaheim peppers.

The tomatillos in this recipe are a must, as well as the Poblanos and lime. I keep the seasonings very simple with no fuss.

You can absolutely use a small grill top like I do to roast your veggies or you can roast your greens in the oven with a little bit of avocado oil at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Gather Your Ingredients

• poblano peppers: I used about 2 large poblanos and made sure to roast them on both sides, making sure to get a good char all around.

• jalapeños: I personally only had 1 lonely jalapeño in the fridge for this batch of salsa, but you can easily add 2 or even 3 if you can handle the spice! Removing the seeds in a great way to lessen the heat if you find yourself a bit sensitive.

• cilantro: A healthy handful of rough chopped cilantro will go right into your blender and will add a lovely flavor and color to your salsa. If you have been cursed with the soap flavor gene that some people have with cilantro, you can absolutely omit it.

• lime: I love adding fresh lime juice to my salsa once its been blended up. A couple juicy limes is all it takes to brighten up the salsa’s flavor profile.

• Anaheim chiles: These chiles are on the mild side for spice. According to Chili Pepper Madness, “The Anaheim pepper is a versatile chili pepper named for the city that made it popular, Anaheim, California. It is mild in flavor and heat, measuring 500-2,500 Scoville Heat Units.”

• garlic: I use an excessive amount of garlic…..I just have a thing for it ok! Don’t judge me. I keep my garlic untouched and raw until I add the cloves to my blender with the roasted veggies. If you like a more milk garlic flavor, roast your garlic cloves with the rest of the peppers.

• avocado oil: I use Chosen Foods avocado oil over olive oil since it has a much higher smoke point. I also use an avocado spray oil just on the pan I roast my veggies on. I do NOT use more than a single layer of avocado oil on the pan before setting the tomatillos and chiles on it. I don’t like my salsa to be overly oily. If you don’t have avocado oil, just use a little bit on olive oil on a pastry brush to coat your pan when it comes up to temp.

• seasonings: salt, pepper, cumin and a little bit of Knorr Chicken Bouillon. I only use a SPRINKLE of the Bouillon seasoning because there is an insane amount of sodium in it.

• onion: I use about 1/4 of a large yellow onion. You can use a white onion in place of yellow if that is all you have on hand, no worries at all. This gets tossed into the blender as well with the raw garlic when you’re ready to blend. However, you can also roast your onions to sweeten up the flavor and make it more mild.

Ingredient Measurements

12 smaller tomatillos or 6 larger ones. (It all depends on the size of your produce. Mine were from my coworker’s garden so they’re organic and on the smaller size.)

1 tsp salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon

1-2 large poblano peppers

2 Anaheim chiles

2 limes

1 cup of cilantro

3-4 cloves of garlic (I used 5…but you can scale it back lol)

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon avocado oil

Directions

1. Start by peeling and rinsing off your tomatillos. Dry them off and set them to the side with your other washed vegetables.

2. Peel your garlic cloves and set them aside with your 1/4 of an onion.

3. Place your peppers and tomatillos (as well as garlic and onion if desired) on either your oiled grill pan or baking sheet. If you are roasting your vegetables in the oven, set the oven to 400 and set inside for 15-20 minutes, making sure to use tongs to flip the veggies about halfway through to ensure char on all sides.

4. If you are using your grill top on the stove, turn your flame to medium high heat and spray/brush on your oil once it has heated up.

5. Start adding your vegetables to the grill top. After 6 minutes of the peppers roasting, flip and roast for an additional 6 minutes to allow them to achieve an even char. Roast until the tomatillos have softened a good amount and the peppers are charred on all sides.

6. Remove your warm, charred veggies and add them to a plastic zip lock for 15 minutes. This will allow the veggies to steam and make the peels easier to remove.

7. Add your peeled peppers to a high power blender or food processor along with your cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 cup water, whole garlic cloves and 1/4 of an onion. Blend until completely combined, about 1 minute or so.

8. Pour your salsa in a food safe container such as a glass mason jar that can hold both cold and hot liquids. Allow too cool down before storing in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy with tortilla chips, in your burritos or over rice! Happy cooking!