Salsa verde is made from tomatillos and contains similar ingredients to tomato salsas. Tomatillos are small, green fruits with a tart taste. You will find them covered in a papery husk that peels away easily. They are different from green tomatoes, which are unripe tomatoes that have not changed color yet.

While you can buy salsa verde in bottles, I was surprised how easy it was to make. And tasty too!

While the next post will show how we used salsa verde with barley, try this salsa verde recipe at your next gathering with a bowl of chips. Yum!

Salsa Verde (makes approximately 1 1/2 cups or 24 1-Tbsp servings)

If you are used to tomato salsa, this recipe is worth trying. Tomatillos are often available with tomatoes in stores.

Half pound tomatillos, husks removed (or approximately 5 medium tomatillos)
1 jalapeño, stem, seeds, and ribs removed
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Half of a lime, juiced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat oven boiler to high. Place whole tomatillos and diced jalapeño on cookie sheet. Broil for 5 minutes. Turn tomatillos over to cook on other side for another 5 minutes. Expect vegetables to become slightly charred – or black – on the outside. As tomatillos cook, they will start to turn yellow.
2. Add tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and lime juice to a food processor. Process to desired texture. Add cilantro and salt, and pulse to combine.
3. Serve immediately and refrigerate any remaining salsa within 2 hours.

Nutrition analysis per serving: 5 calories, 0g fat, 25mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Variation: In step 1, simmer tomatillos and jalapeno in a pot of water instead of broiling. When tomatillos turn from green to dark yellow, remove vegetables and continue as directed in step 2.