Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillo salsa is truly one of my favorite things ever. It’s the perfect balance of tangy and delicious.

Tomatillos are part of the nightshade family; they are related to both cape gooseberries and tomatoes. They are often used in Mexican cuisine, mainly in salsas (which simply means “sauce” in Spanish). They have a tangy- almost lemony- flavor, making them the perfect addition to things with spice (the acidity balances spice well). I use them often in bean soups (see my black bean, corn, & tomatillo soup HERE) and as a salsa for tacos, sopes, chicken, and breakfasts (this salsa is great on potatoes and eggs). I actually made this batch for these chicken tacos HERE… delish!

They are easy to prepare; don’t let these little husky guys fool you. No special preparation is needed to get those husks off… just a quick peel. Typically, tomatillos are roasted before being added to salsas to not only soften them, but to bring out their flavor, as well (roasting always brings out flavor). So for this salsa, since I’m roasting the tomatillos anyways, I roast everything else, too. The onion, garlic, jalapeno, and tomatillos are all drizzled in some olive oil and salt and then roasted slightly before being blended. It’s as simple as it sounds. A quick toss in the oven, a mix in the blender, and done.

INGREDIENTS

3 tomatillos, husked

1/2 yellow onion (1/3 if large)

3 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 lime, juiced
drizzle of oil and sprinkle of salt, for roasting

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Using your fingers, peel back the husks of each tomatillo

(You’ll notice that the tomatillos are a bit sticky

once peeled- that’s normal- just give them a little rinse)

Cut the onion, leaving the peel on

(if you have one already cut without the peel, no biggie… it won’t make a difference)

Similarly, you can roast your garlic cloves however you have them- peel or no peel

(the peel protects them from burning during the roasting process, but since the

roasting time is quite short for these and burning is not a risk,

I take the peels off of my cloves… either way is fine)

Lay the tomatillos, garlic, onion and jalapeno out on a baking

sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt

Place in the oven and roast for about 12-15 minutes, until onion is

slightly charred and tomatillo and pepper are looking a bit wrinkly/softened

Place all ingredients on a cutting board to cool (just enough to handle anyway)

Cut stem off of pepper (leave the seeds to get some spice) and remove

the peel off of onion (and garlic if you had it on them too)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor

Add ground cumin and salt…

And cilantro leaves and lime juice

Blend until well mixed- I personally like to keep it a teeny chunky, but you definitely want it mixed enough to be a saucy consistency (to break up all onion, pepper, etc)

(I find the pulse button handy here)

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired

Pour the salsa into a small bowl

Refrigerate until chilled and/or you’re ready to use it!

That’s it! Enjoy on tacos, over eggs, or on anything else you choose!!

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