Roasted Salsa Verde

First of all I want to congratulate Cheyanne from No Spoon Necessary who was the winner of the Sweet Phi Cookbook giveaway!  Get excited for some amazing recipes coming your way, Cheyanne 🙂  If you’re a newcomer and don’t know about Phi’s cookbook, I’d highly recommend that you pop on over here to check it out.  It’s definitely worth the hype!

But on a second note, I think we need to have a little discussion about salsa.

I was that Midwestern girl that grew up on jarred salsas and tostitos tortilla chips.  It was (and is) still a guilty pleasure of mine to binge eat all the salty chips and tangy salsa while watching ALL the Kimmy Schmidt in my pajamas.  However I do have to say that over the years and a move to San Diego later I have found that freshly made salsas are a true treat and definitely worth making if you have a little extra time.  (And spoiler- it really doesn’t take that much extra time).When we moved to San Diego I was actually pretty surprised to discover how many different salsas you can find around here.  Taco shops and Mexican restaurants around here serve up a “salsa bar” where you can usually pick from 4-6 different salsas to fit your mood.  Of course they usually include a tomato based salsa, but most interesting are the alternative salsas that are based on spicy peppers, and of course the tangy green salsa that is the a wonderful accompaniment for just about any taco.And that green salsa is more familiarly called Salsa Verde, or Tomatillo Salsa.  There are multiple ways to prepare it.  Around here sometimes a little avocado or crema is added to make it a creamier green sauce.  But I have discovered that my preference is for the pure, unadulterated tomatillo salsa that highlights the tartness of the fruit and the spiciness of the peppers.

So when I saw a recipe for Roasted Salsa Verde on Epicurious I knew I just had to give it a go (and adjust it just a little bit for my preferences… naturally).The recipe is pretty straightfoward and involves roasting the tomatillos, peppers, and garlic in a hot oven until they are blistered and slightly charred.  Then everything just pops into the blender with a little onion and cilantro, and a whirl or 3 later, you have the perfect salsa.  (Of course you’ll probably want to let it cool down in the refrigerator before enjoying).

The heat can be adjusted depending on your preference.  I used 3 serrano peppers which ended up being on the mild-medium side.  Epicurious recommends using 5 peppers.  I’ll let you be the judge of things.And of course this wouldn’t be complete without fresh Mexican tortilla chips.  (I got mine at Pancho Villa Market in North Park, for anyone who lives in San Diego and wants to know).

Hope you have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Until next time…

Roasted Salsa Verde

Adapted from Epicurious

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 lbs fresh tomatillos
• 3 serrano chiles stems removed but otherwise left whole
• 3 garlic cloves peeled, and left whole
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/2 onion roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place tomatillos, chiles, and garlic on a baking sheet.
• Place baking sheet on rack closest to the heating source and bake for 15 minutes, turning the tomatillos once. The tomatillos should be lightly charred.
• Put tomatillos, chiles, and garlic in the blender. Add cilantro, raw onion, and lime juice. Season with salt.
• Blend until mixture is smooth.
• Chill and serve with chips or over tacos.

Did you make this recipe? Head on over to Instagram and tag me @thegourmetgourmand or share on the hashtag #thegourmetgourmand. Happy cooking!