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Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

May 12, 2010 by Nicole 46 Comments

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

While many types of green salsa feature cooked or roasted tomatillos, this one is a simple mixture of fresh ingredients that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.  But it’s not just the ease of preparation that makes this salsa great – I absolutely love the texture and refreshing flavor of the fresh tomatillos.

Fresh Tomatillos

Beneath their thin, papery husks, tomatillos look much like small green tomatoes.  But unlike their sweet and juicy cousins, tomatillos are mostly eaten while still firm and tart.  Choose tomatillos that are small, firm, and bright green with fresh-looking husks.  They can be stored on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  Leave the husks on the fruit until ready to use.  To prepare tomatillos, remove the husk and stem and rinse off the remaining sticky residue that coats the fruit.

Tomatillos form the base of many delicious Latin American sauces, but I think their bright flavor really shines in this simple salsa verde.  If you’re new to using tomatillos this is a perfect place to start.

Salsa Ingredients

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from Mexican Everyday
serves four

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped*
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
squeeze of fresh lime juice**

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine and get juices flowing.  Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed.  Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt or lime if desired.  Salsa can be thinned with a bit of water if desired.

Recipe Notes: *This amount of chiles produces a medium-spicy salsa; if you’d like it milder, use only one serrano or half a jalapeño.  If you want an extremely mild salsa (no heat), remove seeds from peppers.  **The lime juice is entirely optional as the tomatillos will lend their own tartness to the salsa.  I like lime with cilantro, so I always use a bit.

Related Recipes:

  • Chili Garlic Chips
  • Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
  • Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
  • Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
  • Deviled Eggs

Around the Web:

  • Tomatillo Salsa with Roasted Green Chiles from Kalyn’s Kitchen
  • Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole from Food Blogga
  • Salsa Verde from Closet Cooking
  • Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Inspired Taste
  • Tomatillo Salsa from My Colombian Recipes

Filed Under: Appetizers, Herbs and Spices, Sauces and Dressings, Snacks, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pearl says

    May 17, 2010 at 10:06 am

    the flavour sounds inspiring.
    Reply
  2. betsy says

    May 17, 2010 at 10:54 am

    i make a similar green salsa, but i add a chopped avocado. it makes it very good and just a bit thcker.
    Reply
  3. Jimmy says

    May 18, 2010 at 7:50 am

    That looks yummy....Look forward to making it soon!
    Reply
  4. Jennifer Jo says

    May 29, 2010 at 6:44 am

    Made this this morning and it's out-of-this-world DELICIOUS! It's my first time working with tomatillos and I'm tickled pink.
    Reply
  5. Jennifer Jo says

    June 10, 2010 at 7:18 am

    Now I posted the recipe---so, so yummy. Thanks!
    Reply
  6. Festin Foods says

    October 11, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    Wow this is really great! My family and I actually sell sauce. It's so tasty. If you all want you can check us out at www.festinfoods.com. We have many types of sauces too, like a yummy blackberry chipotle sauce.
    Reply
  7. Farmgirl Susan says

    February 12, 2011 at 10:54 am

    Yum! One more reason to plant a big patch of tomatillos in the garden this summer. Bookmarking - and dreaming about - this fresh and easy recipe now. ;)
    Reply
  8. jenniab says

    September 2, 2011 at 9:28 pm

    Perfect! Thank you for this -- wanted fresh tomatillo recipe, not roasted. Your photos are beautful.
    Reply
  9. DomesticRockstar says

    March 26, 2012 at 8:13 pm

    Tried this yesterday and it was so delicious! Thanks
    Reply
  10. Rupert says

    January 17, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    Wow, thats some great looking tomatillo salsa. I cannot wait to try this recipe out. Thank you very much. I wonder how it compares to the tomatillo salsa i purchase online (its the closest to fresh tomatillo salsa you can get in a jar). Going in with high expectations since the other reviews are so great! Thanks http://gmbfoods.com/products-page-2/garlic-survival-co/tomatillo-garlic-salsa/
    Reply
  11. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    July 9, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Just made this, and it is soooo good! Thanks for a great recipe! Cheers, Andrea
    Reply
  12. Nicole says

    July 10, 2013 at 6:37 am

    Thanks for the feedback, Andrea!
    Reply
  13. Mary says

    July 12, 2013 at 1:03 am

    I see I'm a bit late on finding your website, but this is literally the best thing I've made in the past week. I've been on a crazy vegetarian cooking spree lately and this has been my only real success. I made this today and my family loved it! My brother said he likes it better than the taqueria verde salsa, and my mom made nachos that we had a hard time sharing. My dad (aka the pickiest eater on the planet) was even impressed. Thank you so much :) I'm not afraid of salsas anymore! And my mom told me I HAVE to make it for my brother's rehearsal dinner that we're hosting.
    Reply
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