Ingredients

3 large or 5 small/medium tomatillos (~340g), husks removed and washed of sticky substance
1 small or 1/2 large yellow or white onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno (for spicy salsa)** or 1/2 green bell pepper (for sweeter salsa), stem removed, seeded
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cilantro, loosely packed
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Heat grill to 450°F (or High). While grill is coming up to temperature, make sure all of the ingredients are prepared; tomatillos should be husked and washed of any sticky substance, onions and garlic should be peeled with tops and bottoms removed, and jalapeno (or green bell pepper) should have the stem and seeds removed.
2. Cut tomatillos, onion, and jalapeno (or green bell pepper) in half. Add to a bowl with garlic cloves, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp salt and mix to coat veggies.
3. Add veggies to grill – if your grill is too large to place garlic or any of the other veggies on, you can use a cast iron skillet or grill veggie pan on top to make sure nothing falls through!
4. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until grill marks show on the veggies. Flip and then cook for another 3-5 minutes to obtain grill marks/flavour.
5. Remove veggies from the grill and allow to cool slightly before handling. Add veggies into a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients (cilantro, lime, and salt), and blend until desired consistency.*

Notes:

1. *If you would like a very chunky salsa, you can skip blending the veggies and roughly chop them instead. Then just mix them together with the lime, salt, and chopped cilantro.
2. **If using jalapenos, I recommend wearing gloves when touching them with your hands, and washing your hands immediately after handling… you do not want to accidentally touch your eyes or any open cuts with the spice from these peppers!
   If you would like an even spicier salsa verde, you can leave the jalapeno seeds in.
3. Poblano peppers are great for a mildly spicy salsa verde if you can get your hands on them! I would recommend using 1 small pepper, or 1/2 a large pepper for this recipe, and preparing them in the same way listed for the ingredient that it would be replacing.
4. A hand emersion blender can be used instead of a food processor or blender – if you have a plastic emersion blender, please make sure the veggies are cooled down enough to not melt the plastic or cause burns if it splashes onto your skin.
5. Tomatillos are still in the nightshade family, but are not tomatoes! This is a great recipe for people who react to tomatoes but can still enjoy other nightshades (beware of store-bought salsa verde, which may also contain tomatoes or green tomatoes as well – always check your labels!).
6. This salsa verde goes very well on its own as a dip, on protein as a marinade, or as a sauce for tacos, tostadas, chilaquiles, enchiladas, huevos rancheros, and much more.