MAKES: 24 servings TESTED BY: Colleen W.
008 Salsa Verde
TASTING COMMENTS:
The best way to experience the addictive, sour tanginess of tomatillos is in a really good salsa verde. And we think the secret to really good salsa verde is getting the balance of chiles and tomatillos just right. We love it with tortilla chips but also on grilled chicken, fish, and shrimp.—CW
prep 20 minutes broil 7 minutes stand 10 minutes
- 12 oz. fresh tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and drained
- 1 fresh poblano chile pepper
- 1 fresh serrano chile pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
If you can’t find fresh tomatillos, substitute one 11-oz. can tomatillos, rinsed and drained, and decrease the salt to ¼ tsp. Don’t broil the canned tomatillos, but do broil the chile peppers for a bit of charring, which is not only pretty but adds flavor, too!
1. Preheat broiler. Arrange tomatillos and chile peppers on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil 7 to 8 minutes or until charred, turning tomatillos and peppers once or twice. Enclose tomatillos and peppers in the foil. Let stand 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, loosen edges of skins on peppers; gently pull off skins in strips and discard.
2. In a food processor combine tomatillos, chile peppers, garlic, salt, and sugar. Pulse until chopped. Stir in onion and cilantro. Add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency.
Per serving 7 cal., 0 g fat., 0 mg chol., 49 mg sodium, 1 g carb., 0 g fiber, 1 g sugars, 0 g pro.
tomatillos Tomatillos are small green fruits that belong to the same family as tomatoes, but they have a tart, citrusy flavor. Look for fresh tomatillos that are firm, bright green, and unblemished. Remove the inedible papery skin and rinse off the sticky outer coating before use. Store at room temperature up to 5 days or refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
TESTING NOTES
Store peppers, covered, in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
1. Salsa verde gets its flavor and heat from two different chile peppers. Poblano peppers are larger and one of the more mild varieties of hot peppers. Serrano peppers are much smaller but pack quite a bit more heat.
2. When choosing any variety of pepper, look for those that are glossy and have bright color; avoid any that are shriveled, bruised, or have soft spots.
3. After roasting, use a small sharp paring knife to loosen edges of the pepper skins; gently pull off the skins in strips and discard.
4. After removing the skin, slice off and discard the stem. Cut the pepper into strips. If desired, use a spoon to scrape out the seeds (leave some or all of the seeds if you want additional heat).
