By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- 5(146)
- Notes
- Read community notes
I have been making tomatillo and avocado salsa for years, but I usually simmer the tomatillos rather than roasting them. Roasting the tomatillos, chiles and garlic – toasting really, as I use a skillet for this, on top of the flame – produces a salsa with a delicious charred flavor. I learned something recently from the chef Iliana de la Vega, who demonstrated the recipe at the “Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives” conference in Napa Valley in March: she says, in no uncertain terms, that you should not add water to tomatillo salsas. Without the water, this is a more intense salsa with pleasing density.You can use it as a sauce to serve with chicken or fish, or as a dip with chips or other vegetables.
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Ingredients
Yield:About 2 cups, serving 6 to 8
- 1pound tomatillos, husked
- 1 to 2serrano chiles (to taste), stems removed
- 1medium garlic clove, unpeeled
- 1slice white or red onion
- ½cup chopped cilantro, with stems
- 1medium avocado
- Salt to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
61 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 202 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place tomatillos in pan and toast until charred on 1 side, about 10 minutes for a medium or large tomatillo. The color in the middle should be fading from pale green to olive. Turn tomatillos over and continue to grill until charred on the other side, about 10 minutes, but not for so long that they burst. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Step
2
Place chile(s), garlic clove and onion slice in skillet and toast, turning often, until chile is lightly charred and garlic is charred in spots and softened. The onion should be lightly colored on both sides but not charred black (that will make it bitter). Remove from heat. Peel the garlic and transfer, with the onion and chiles, to a blender. Add tomatillos and any liquid that may have accumulated in the bowl.
Step
3
Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.
- Advance preparation: This will keep for 1½ days, but keep it covered with the plastic resting on the surface of the salsa.
Ratings
5
out of 5
146
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Cooking Notes
Yolanda
Mash the avocado at the end instead of blending and fold the blended tomatillo mix in for a chunkier salsa.
Marilyn Armbruster
Made this a second time and still delicious. I did use more garlic than called for here. Also roasted some cherry tomatoes along w the peppers, etc and ground them up with everything at the end. Variation we tried was putting all but avocado in blender and using sauce over avocado slices. Great! We did squirt some lime juice on the avocado slices to prevent the slices from turning brown. Great recipe.
Susan
This was delicious, but needed acid. I added the juice of one lime and it was perfect!
Jean
I used two Serrano chiles to make the salsa, so it was quite hot. I used the suggestion in the accompanying article to sear the completed salsa in hot oil for a couple of minutes. It slightly darkened the bright salsa and took the edge off of the heat, in addition to adding another level of flavor.
Livia
This is now one of my weekly go to recipes. I’m not a big avocado fan, but now I’m wolfing down like a champ. The flavors combo is phenomenally good.
ZGBNM
Mixed without the avocado so i could to try and freeze half the salsa and actually preferred it without. Needed salt. Used mini cuisinart rather than blender. Turned out great.
nina
Had to substitute one Thai chili for the Serrano and it still wasn’t very spicy. Otherwise, so delicious!
Jean
I used two Serrano chiles to make the salsa, so it was quite hot. I used the suggestion in the accompanying article to sear the completed salsa in hot oil for a couple of minutes. It slightly darkened the bright salsa and took the edge off of the heat, in addition to adding another level of flavor.
Susan
This was delicious, but needed acid. I added the juice of one lime and it was perfect!
Yolanda
Mash the avocado at the end instead of blending and fold the blended tomatillo mix in for a chunkier salsa.
Marilyn Armbruster
Made this a second time and still delicious. I did use more garlic than called for here. Also roasted some cherry tomatoes along w the peppers, etc and ground them up with everything at the end. Variation we tried was putting all but avocado in blender and using sauce over avocado slices. Great! We did squirt some lime juice on the avocado slices to prevent the slices from turning brown. Great recipe.
Marilyn Armbruster
This is delicious!
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