This fresh, bright homemade Salsa Verde made with jalapenos, serrano’s, garlic, onions, cilantro and tomatillos is the perfect addition to any meal.
Tomatillos sometimes called husk tomatoes
SALSA VERDE: DIY or BUY?
We are all about saving time in the kitchen but when it comes to Salsa fresh is just so much better. Loaded with fresh ingredients once you make this a few times you will never buy green salsa in a jar again.
HOW TO MAKE SALSA VERDE:
- Crowd the uncut jalapenos and serrano’s, 2 cloves of peeled garlic and 1/4 of an onion (quarter it but DON’T dice or chop) into a big pot of simmering water and cook for 15 minutes (until peppers are soft and wrinkled on the outside and garlic and onion are soft).
- Add the clean washed (yes remove paper husks and they are sticky until washed) tomatillos into the pot after step 1 and continue to simmer on low for another 5 to 10 minutes. The tomatillos will begin to turn yellow and become soft on the outside. Try not to let your tomatillos burst in the water but if they do it’s not a big deal.
- Remove everything from the pot and allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Using a molcajete (below) mix 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt with 1/2 clove of fresh garlic and grind into paste.
- Add cooked garlic and grind into paste. Add softened cooked peppers (sliced into quarters) and continue to grind into a paste until you have a pepper/garlic/salt mash. Don’t splash this in your eye…Trust me it’s hot!
6. Add Pepper/garlic/salt mash along with cooked onions and 1 tomatillo to blender or food processor and pulse briefly for 5 to 10 seconds.
7. Add remaining tomatillos 1 at a time and pulse after each addition for 1 to 3 seconds. Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and pulse.
ARE WE THERE YET?
Well technically you can stop here drop it in the fridge and let the salsa marinate for about an hour and you are good to go…
BUT if you want to take a level the next step is to FRY the salsa.
It will give it a much more complex flavor!!
If you want to fry the salsa simply heat up 2 tablespoons of Vegetable or Canola oil until hot in a pan and ladle in the salsa (slowly). Using a spatula fry salsa for about 10 to 15 minutes. The salsa will begin to deepen in color.
NOW you can use this fried salsa to top your Enchilada’s before you bake them or my favorite is to dump it on boneless chicken breasts and bake for about 30 minutes (extra recipe below).
HOW HOT IS HOT??????
Start with 1lb of Tomatillo’s (about 5 or 6 but weigh them) and 1 jalapeno (uncut and with seeds) and 1 serrano (uncut and with seeds). If after you make it the first time it isn’t spicy enough add more the next go around. I personally use 1 jalapeno and 2 serrano’s and it has a very spicy kick.
NO MALCAJETE?
No worries… after the peppers, onions, garlic and tomatillos are cooked just dump everything into a blender or food processor and mix. You may want to start by blending the peppers, onions, garlic and tomatillos together first and then adding the cilantro. Trust me this will still be extremely tasty!
Go forth and conquer!
- 1 pound of tomatillos (about 5 or 6 but weigh them)
- heaping teaspoon of KOSHER SALT
- ¼ of a quartered small white onion (do not chop or dice)
- ½ clove of raw garlic (add this to the blender raw)
- 1½ cloves of garlic (boil this with the peppers and onion)
- 1 serrano chili pepper
- 1 jalapeno chili pepper
- ¼ cup of cilantro (add slowly and taste after each small addition). Cilantro can overpower salsa fast.
- Wash tomatillos and remove paper husks. They will be sticky but wash with water
- Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add Serrano chili pepper (uncut) and Jalapeno pepper (uncut) and quartered onion and 1½ cloves of garlic to water and simmer for 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes when peppers become wrinkled and soft remove garlic from boiling water and onion if it is soft and add tomatillos. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until Tomatillos turn slightly yellow and soft.
- Remove everything from pot and let cool
- Using a Molcajete mix a heaping ½ teaspoon kosher salt with uncooked garlic and grind together into a paste.
- Add cooked garlic to molcajete and continue to grind into a paste
- Add cooked peppers to molcajete and continue to grind into a paste.
- Add pepper/garlic/salt mash to blender or food processor along with cooked onion and 1 tomatillo. Pulse for 5 to 6 seconds.
- Add remaining tomatillo's 1 at a time and pulse briefly after each addition.
- Add ¼ cup of cilantro and pulse briefly
- Taste and adjust salt as needed.
2) If you wish to use this salsa to make enchiladas then fry in 2 tablespoons of hot oil in a pan until color begins to darken. Pour over enchiladas and bake.
3) If you do not have a molcajete then you may mix this in a blender or food processor. Simply add all the cooked ingredients (tomatillos, garlic, onion, peppers) and blend. Add cilantro last.
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