As a kid I always thought that green salsa was made from green tomatoes, but actually it is made with a distant relative of the tomato from Mexico, the naturally tart tomatillo (pronounced “toe-mah-TEE-yo”). A tomatillo looks like a little green tomato covered with a husk. It’s not in the same genus as tomatoes, though both are in the nightshade family (along with eggplants and peppers). Salsa verde is really easy to make from scratch, all you need are tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro. To make the salsa verde, you will need to cook the tomatillos, which you can do by either boiling them, broiling them in the oven, or pan roasting them. All three approaches are quick and easy, though with broiling or pan roasting, you get added flavor from the searing of the tomatillos. Then it’s a quick spin in the blender with the other ingredients, easy! Garlic is optional. You can either cook a few cloves with the tomatillos in any of these steps, or add one or two raw garlic cloves when you go to blend the salsa. Add a few garlic cloves in their skin (if using). Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skins of the tomatillos. Cool, then refrigerate. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes. Season with salt to taste. Cool, then refrigerate. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes. Season with salt to taste. Cool, then refrigerate. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
