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    Home » Uncategorized

    Published: Mar 25, 2019 · Modified: May 27, 2024 by Neyssa

    Salsa Verde Recipe

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    This easy salsa verde recipe is perfect for drizzling over enchilada verdes, quesadillas, or even grilled steak.

    Made with roasted fresh tomatillos, warm spices, and herbs and finished with zesty lime juice, this mild salsa verde recipe is perfect for topping off your tacos, grilled steak bites, or anything you can think of!

    Freshly made salsa verde is in a food processor with a blue background and a black spoon holding up a small amount to show viewers.

    What is salsa verde?

    Salsa verde is a green sauce with a complex flavor profile popular in Mexican culture. Imagine the red salsa you have with chips, but make it less sweet and more tart and full of robust flavors from cilantro, garlic, and warm spices, finished with lime juice, and that's what salsa verde tastes like.

    If you've ever had enchiladas verde at a Mexican restaurant with a green sauce slathered over them, the sauce is most likely salsa verde—a roasted tomatillo salsa.

    What is a tomatillo?

    Often mistaken for a small green tomato, tomatillos are small green fruits that grow on vines and have a papery husk protecting a sticky skin.

    Tomatillos are juicy like tomatoes, depending on how ripe they are, but they have a tart taste like green apples and have a hint of citrus. Since tomatillos are so tart, they're often cooked first before consuming.

    Fun Fact: There must be at least two tomatillo plants in a garden since they have to cross-pollinate! Last year, I grew tons of tomatillo seedlings and gave away all but one. My gardening lesson has been learned.

    FAQ for making salsa verde

    Can salsa verde be frozen?

    Yes, salsa verde can be frozen if properly stored in an airtight container.

    What is a tomatillo?

    Often mistaken for a small green tomato, tomatillos are small green fruits that grow on vines and have a papery husk protecting a sticky skin.

    Tomatillos are juicy like tomatoes, depending on how ripe they are, but they have a tart taste like green apples and have a hint of citrus. Since tomatillos are so tart, they're often cooked first before consuming.Fresh tomatillos are on a brown marble serving tray with a blue background

    When to use salsa verde?

    You can use salsa verde as a sauce or a dip. Since the vegetables are cooked, it's great to add as a topping to your tacos, quesadillas, or even to add a layer onto your avocado toast or breakfast sandwich!

    Recipe

    salsa verde in a food processor

    Mild Salsa Verde Recipe

    Tasty and fresh, this salsa verde recipe is the perfect sauce dip for tacos and chips!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: green sauce, salsa verde, tomatillo sauce
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 258kcal
    Author: Neyssa
    Cost: 8

    Ingredients

    • 12 tomatillos husk removed
    • ½ Spanish onion skin removed
    • 1 head of garlic or 6 cloves
    • 1 cup cilantro
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice or to taste
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    Preparing

    • Remove the husk from the tomatillos and rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky substance. Pat dry the tomatillos before placing them onto a sheet pan.
      Fresh tomatillos are on a brown marble serving tray with a blue background

    Roasting

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To your sheet pan with the tomatillos, add the whole garlic (keep it in the skin), onion, and a few sprigs of cilantro (if desired on the cilantro to be roasted). Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, and add your seasonings before gently massaging the oil and seasoning over the vegetables.
      A metal sheet pan is full of roasted tomatillos, garlic, and cilantro with a blue background.
    • Place into your preheated oven and roast your vegetables for about 20-25 minutes, or until your tomatillos are slightly browned.
    • Once the tomatillos are roasted, remove pan from oven and allow the vegetables to cool to touch.

    Blending

    • Once the garlic has cooled, remove each clove from the skin.
    • Add all of the roasted vegetables into the food processor and pulse until it reaches the desired consistency. Add in lime juice and taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
      A food processor is full of garlic, tomatillos, herbs, to make salsa verde.

    Storage

    • Place into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to three days.

    Notes

    Make salsa verde on the stove

    Use the same ingredients, except for the olive oil. We won't need that here.
    To make salsa verde on the stove, you'll remove the husks from the tomatillos and the skin from the garlic. (You should still rinse your tomatillos afterward.)
    Then, you'll boil the tomatillos, garlic, and onion in a pot until they are tender—about ten minutes.
    Drain the pot, add all of the ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until pureed.
    Serve and store all remaining salsa verde in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 788IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

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    About Neyssa

    Neyssa is a Latina food blogger who shares her Cuban and Puerto Rican family recipes for home cooks to make.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebekah Pestes says

      May 07, 2024 at 3:34 pm

      From the directions, it looks like there’s supposed to be lime juice in it, but it’s not in the ingredients list. How much lime juice is supposed to be used?

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        May 27, 2024 at 11:00 am

        Hi Rebekah, I updated the post to reflect how much lime juice to use. Start at a teaspoon, and you can adjust it to your liking. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Neyssa is a Puerto Rican and Cuban self-taught home cook who lives right outside of Philly and is on a mission to share recipes that are inspired by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage.

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