Salsa verde is a smokey, tangy green salsa made with tomatillos, onions, cilantro and lime juice. It offers a wonderful contrast to the sweetness often found in red salsa and it is super simple to bring together.
Let’s get started…
The star of the salsa verde show is the tomatillo. Although tomatillo translates to “little tomato” in Spanish, this round little fruit comes from a completely different plant and is lacks the tomatoes natural sweetness. Tomatillos are a little tart and acidic and roasting them not only brings out their very best flavors, but also coaxes out some sweetness that they lack when raw.
Remove the husks from a dozen tomatillos and give them a good wash and dry. Place them whole on a baking sheet along with a quartered white onion and a couple of jalapeños with their stems and seeds removed.
Roast the tomatillos, onions and jalapeños until they are charred in a 425 degree oven. This will take about 15 minutes.
Transfer the charred tomatillos, onion and jalapeños into a blender along with 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Salt really helps to bring out the best flavor in this and many other sauces, so start with a teaspoon, but if you salsa tastes like anything short of spectacular, add more. I love using sea salt for most applications, but use the salt you have in your pantry and let your tongue tell you if you need to add more.
Blend until the salsa reaches your desired texture. I like my salsa verde fairly smooth, but as long as the garlic is broken down and everything is well distributed, you can stop blending when things are still chunky or keep going until everything is super smooth.
I love having a good salsa recipe on hand. One that is quick to bring together, flavorful enough to be enjoyed with plain tortilla chips and versatile enough to be used in a wide variety of dishes. This roasted salsa verde is all of those things and whether you are whipping it up for friends at game night or making a batch to use in my creamy salsa verde chicken, you are going to love this salsa.
Roasted Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 12 tomatillos (1 - 1 1/2 pounds), husk removed
- 2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed
- 1 small white onion
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Place the tomatillos, jalapeños and onion on a baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes flipping half way through
- Transfer the roasted vegetables into a blender along with 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, a teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- Blend until the consistency reaches your desired texture
- Taste and add additional lime juice or salt, if desired
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 7-10 days
