Salsa Verde
Updated October 31, 2023
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds tomatillos, papery husks removed, cut in half
8 to 12 Serrano chilies (depending on heat tolerance)
½ onion, peeled
1 garlic clove
6 whole sprigs cilantro, stems included
Lime juice
Salt
Nutritional analysis per serving
16 grams carbs; 179 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 639 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 10 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
In a wide skillet, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add tomatillos, chilies, onion (cut-side down) and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, turning often, until vegetables are browned, turning to black, and seared on all sides.
- Step 2
Add cilantro and purée with blender until smooth and creamy, adding a little water if needed to loosen. Season to taste with salt and lime juice. The sauce should be tart and spicy but rounded in flavor.
This salsa is good on fish and particularly good with tongue.
Private Notes
Comments
i recommend roasting all ingredients in the oven, covered in olive oil and salt, until everything has some brown roasted colour, and then blend. unbelievably good!
I am sure it works great. But, I recommend doing this dry roasting on the skillet, or 'comal' as called in Mexico. This is a technique in itself, and it develops a particular quality to flavours, and bestows the Mexican personality to the dish.
cooking the tomatillos releases all their flavor and softens them into an unctuous deliciousness....I don't recall anyone in mexico using them raw. They are often boiled to softness and then used.
Based on the ever-useful comments I used four poblanos for much milder heat but still having enough pepper volume. It was measurably but mildly spicy and was perfect for the cheesy green chile bean bake that linked to this recipe.
I love this recipe. It’s a little bit of a harmless mystery at times, as this type of recipe should be imo - if you’re gonna blend the onion you’re probably cut both sides of it, for example. And flipping frequently, well, both cut sides will go down, a lot. And no mention of time, well, that’s just bc it’ll take as long as it takes. I can’t imagine having a burnt up pan afterwards with this much oil and moisture. Everything turned beautifully brown, then bordering on black, and it was time to puree. Took two run throughs on purée in my Ninja to get nice and creamy It’s really delicious and fun to make!
Wow. Way too spicy for my families’ taste. Not to mention I absolutely destroyed the pan trying to get get the brown/burned veggie look. Made this once in a cooking class and I don’t recall it being such a disaster. Recipe for cleaning a burnt skillet?