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Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

Tomatillo Salsa
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 15 mins | Active Time: | Makes: 5 cups

This salsa has a fresh flavor that really highlights the tomatillos. It’s delicious on chips but also gives great crunch and freshness to baked dishes, such as our Chiles Rellenos Strata.

Game plan: The salsa will last in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.

This recipe was featured as part of our Nacho Recipes photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound tomatillos, skins removed and cut into small dice
  • 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
  • 2 medium jalapeños, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl, stir to combine, adjust seasoning as necessary, and serve.
    Write a review | 26 Reviews
  • Here's a delicious alternative to tomato-based dip: http://missoriginality.com/2009/06/21/shrimp-salsa-omg/ Shrimp Salsa! It's husband approved. Very rich and hearty.

  • I have always made the salsa as mentioned above without the lime juice. It can be squeezed on later if people want. I also modify the recipe somewhat because the folks here in New England that I know usually don't like really hot stuff as I do (I'm from the Southwest). I add chilies, usually more jalapenos, habaneros, or sorranos, and blend them in my jar of salsa. I get a kick sometimes out of letting the Yankee folk here get a taste of my hot salsa (they agree before I let them taste it). What a chuckle to watch.

  • EVER MADE IT WITH CRUSHED PINEAPPLE ? DNT MAKE IT SWEET STILL HOT. BUT REALLY GOOD...

  • CHOWMICK, while I love your approach of Fire grilling most of the ingredients, I think the Chicken Stock is overkill. completely unnecessary in my humble opinion. As far as the rawness of the tomatillo's goes,im sure that with the addition of the lime and a lil' time to rest, they become tame. Finally: MAKING A SALSA IN A FOOD PROCESSOR IS A SIN!!!!!

  • unocal, I don't remember the price of tomos. You could try growing them your self, I hear you need at least two plants for pollination. I've done them right on the grill or even in a cast iron pan I've seen some put them right on the red hot coals. Above vickib does them in the oven. As to raw the recipe at the top looks pretty raw, except for the method used ( boiling water or direct flame from a burner) to remove the skins. Good luck!

  • for a secret ingredient, i enjoy a slight amount of honey.

  • omg i miss california, if only for the mexican food...where i'm at there aren't even any mexican folks! 2 questions...how much are people paying for their tomatillos, and to the people who fire roast, i'm guessing you're doing this right on your grill? thanks, can't wait to try this out. the last and only time i made salsa vere, it was severely lacking something, but it was probably cuz i threw the tomatillos in the food processor raw...DOH!

  • Thanks for all the comments. I just made some tomatillo salsa by roasting 1 lb in a 400 degree oven with 2 jalapenos and 5-6 cloves of garlic. When the tomatillos were tender, I put them in a food processor with one onion, a handful of cilantro, and some salt. I only put 2 chiles in the salsa because I want others in my family to be able to eat it, not just me. Pretty good. We're having it with fish tacos tonight.

  • Davemex... you are absolute right about the lime juice... I completely missed that before! Raw tomatillos are quite tart... the lime juice would completely destroy the salsa... however if the tomatillos were very well roasted... then they would develop enough sweetness that a squeeze of lime would certainly be welcome. That makes me suspect the "author" plagiurized a recipe... and then either made changes to it only on paper... or messed up the technique on the tomatillos.

  • Why adding lime juice to tomatillo salsa?? In Mexico no one would ever do that... They are too tart/acid to add lime juice to them... You might think of a pinch of sugar to balance a salsa, but lime juice??? To me that's a gringo thing... Still, "hooliganyouth"'s idea of adding ginger sounds great, I'll definitely try it!

  • All these recipes look good, but I had to put mine out there, too. I didn't plant tomatillos this year, as they took over my garden, and for several years I didn't even need to buy plants, they kept coming up volunteer. Uh, we like ours kind of spicy... 1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1/4 c. diced onion 1-2 cloves chopped garlic 4 oz. canned chopped green chilis 2-3 green onions, chopped 1 habanero pepper 1 seeded jalapeno pepper 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves 2 Tbsp. lime juice 1/2 tsp. salt cut tomatillos in half and put in saucepan with water to cover. Bring to boil,reduce heat and let simmer 2-3 minutes, until soft. Drain and cool tomatillos. Put everything in blender or food processor and process to desired texture.Refrigerate. Eat.

  • i grow them (green ones, the purple ones sound lovely). well I grew them once and that was years ago, now they are prolific and welcome volunteers in my garden. After I take the paper husk off they are very sticky so i rinse them and simmer them in water for 5-10 minutes, drain, let them cool, then mash them through a sieve to get rid of the skin and some of the seeds. Frankly this super simple salsa verde doesn't need a damn thing. I might salt it or add a twist of lime or some chopped cilantro. Or just have it naked. It keeps in the fridge for a good while. Wonderful on a filet of fish, or scallops, or chicken, or make super fast cheese enchiladas verdes.

  • We grew purple tomatillos this year and they most definitely do not need to be cooked first. They are very sweet with an apple like tone. Their sweetness does become more pronounced with cooking but then you lose the wonderful crunch.

  • One of the Mexican markets (The Northgate) close to me in Pico Rivera, Ca has one of the best Chili Verde's I've ever had. When I checked the ingredients, no garlic, onion or cilantro just roasted tomatillos, jalapenos and salt. At my next BBQ I fire roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, serranos, poblano and habaneros removed the burnt skins put them in the blender with some salt, process to how you like it and it's done. Oh so good.

  • Oh, cr**, can't edit my comment. - Last step, blend the salsa but leave it a little chunky.

  • Here are my preferences: - Use white onion instead of yellow, one half a medium one is fine - Add two cloves of garlic - Substitute serranos for jalapenos if you like; the latter here may be the lame, super mild kind. - Roast the onion, garlic, chile - I find tomatillos not to be particularly sharp, so carefully add more lime juice to taste. Always use fresh limes unless desparate. - 1 tsp salt is plenty if you use more lime juice, add to taste - 1/2 tsp roasted and ground cumin seed add a little smokiness - After prep and roasting bring all ingredients to boil, then TURN THE HEAT OFF. My happy medium between raw and thoroughly cooked.

  • Click on Boards... select Home Cooking & start a new thread.

  • Hello, Im Dona....a married, mom of 6 on 15 acres in NE OK. Im new here and dont quite know how to post a recipe to a file anywhere. This looks like a fun place though. I make an awesome green tomato salsa every fall that is fermented. I have used green tomatoes and tomatillas with equal success. I dont peel anything when I make this salsa...mostly because the produce all comes straight out of my chemical free garden. When you open the jar the fermentation causes it to bubble, just like its boiling, which is admittedly sort of freaky. But its so good - and good for you! The recipe I use is my families version of a recipe in "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. I make a super Latin American Sauerkraut out of that same cookbook. A month ago I fermented part of our green bean crop too (oregano, whole garlic, liquid whey, sea salt & water). It was SO easy.....and I didnt have to heat up the house. I did 14 qts and just stashed them away in the cabinet. We had our first jar for dinner tonight (1 month later) and they are excellent. That recipe comes from "Keeping Foods Fresh". My biggest kitchen goal is to revive old world food preservation (pre-canning & refrigeration) Nothing adds life to a meal like living foods. So, if anyone is interested, where do I share the recipes?

  • The way I make it is to peel, rinse (to remove the ever-present sand under the papery husk) and fire-grill or broil the tomatillos, onion, and chiles until lightly charred...add 3 to 5 cloves of fire-grilled or broiled garlic, make it 4 to 6 jalapeños instead of a measly dos, and throw in 3 or so fire-grilled green onions. A quarter cup or so of very rich chicken stock, and a liberal pinch of sugar will balance the flavors nicely. Excellent on a slab of grilled fish or chicken, atop shrimp or chicken enchiladas or flautas, or on chile-dusted hot tortilla chips. mick

  • If by Coriander you mean Coriander powder... that is a terrible idea. La Super Rica does that and the result is disastrous. Would anyone add Coriander to a Buffalo Mozarrella, Tomato & Basil salad? No! Same concept applies here.

  • I would add some Coriander

  • Raw tomatillo salsa has its place... often finds its way as somewhat of a very chunky, very sharp relish (mix 75% of this recipe with 25% pureed)... to contrast Pork Ribs braised in a naturally sweet Roasted Salsa Verde caldillo. The major problem with this recipe is the Yellow Onions.... you really want to use White Onions if you can find the Mexican spring onions even better... they have the right balance of sharpness while being easier to digest (i.e. no burps).

  • For me, I wouldn't ever do a sauce with uncooked or unroasted tomatillos personally. Just too raw a taste for me, though I have seen this done by some cooks.

  • I roast skinned and rinsed tomatillos, some chiles pobanos and/or some serranos; peeled white onion, a couple of loves of garlic, all in a stainless steel roasting pan with a little oil and some coarse salt. I roast at 400º F. until the toms are softened. After cooling, I coarsely chop it in a food processor. Then add a handful of cilantro. Taste for seasoning. It might take a squirt of Mexican lime juice, but not often.

  • You don't need to cook the tomatillos?

  • Add a splash of rice vinegar, use key lime or Rose's lime juice instead, add a few more jalapenos - leave the seeds in, roast the tomatillos first, and a good chunk of ginger. Toss all of it into a food processor or put some elbow grease into a mortar and pestle. Chill. Get a case of ice cold Pacifico and a bag of El Milagro chips. Oh heck yeah.

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