Verdes Recipe

Roast tomatillos and chiles

Preheat a cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse and pat dry. Place tomatillos, jalapeño, and serrano directly on the hot surface. Roast, turning occasionally, until tomatillos are blistered and soft and chiles are blackened in spots, about 6–8 minutes total. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Char onion and garlic

On the same hot pan, place the quartered onion cut-side down and the garlic cloves (whole, unpeeled) and char until the onion has dark grill marks and the garlic skins are browned, about 3–4 minutes. Remove garlic and onion and let cool.

Peel and de-seed if desired

Peel garlic cloves. If you prefer a milder salsa, split the roasted chiles and scrape out seeds; for more heat keep seeds.

Blend salsa

In a blender or food processor combine roasted tomatillos (including any juices), roasted chiles, charred onion (use about 3/4 of the onion for a balanced flavor), peeled garlic cloves, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Pulse and then blend to a smooth or slightly chunky texture, about 10–20 seconds. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or chiles to preference.

Rest and cool

Transfer salsa to a bowl and let it rest 10–15 minutes to let flavors marry. If preparing ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving or serve chilled.

If using avocado, dice and toss gently with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime to prevent browning. Thinly slice radish and chop green onion. When ready to serve, fold the diced avocado into part of the salsa or place on top as a garnish. Scatter radish, queso fresco, and green onion over the salsa for texture and visual contrast.

Warm tortillas on the comal until pliable (30–60 seconds per side) or heat tortilla chips. Spoon salsa onto chips or use to dress grilled protein. For a composed plate, place grilled chicken, pork or fish on warmed tortillas and top generously with the salsa verde and garnishes.