I went to a cooking class last year in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at the “Traditional Mexican Cooking School” and came away with a number of delicious recipes to make authentic Mexican food. One of my favorites is for traditional salsa verde. This recipe is extremely fast and easy, and can be used for anything from enchiladas and tacos to a classic dip for tortilla chips. The recipe calls for tomatillos, a small green tomato-like fruit that, when fresh, comes in a thin husk that you have to peel away before washing. You should look for tomatillos on the smaller side, since the larger ones tend to be bitter. If you can’t find fresh, you may find canned tomatillos in the canned vegetable or Mexican section of the supermarket.

Salsa Verde

½ lb. tomatillos
1 slice white onion
1 garlic clove
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo) or 1 fresh serrano chile (remove the seeds for a
milder salsa)
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, with stems
Salt to taste
½ to 1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:
Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, chile, cilantro, salt and chicken broth in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached (in Mexico, salsa verde is thin and smooth, not chunky).

The salsa can be eaten at this point, or it can be cooked. Cooking the salsa gives it a different flavor and color. Try cooking half the batch and see which you like better.

To cook: Heat oil over medium heat and then add the salsa. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until salsa thickens slightly and turns a different shade of green.

Our teacher recommended that if using this salsa for enchiladas, add a bit more chicken broth to make the salsa juicier. The extra juice gets absorbed by the tortillas and creates a moist enchilada.

Buen provecho!