This salsa came from small obsessions colliding.
The first obsession was poblano peppers. I’ve used them – and even grown them – for a few years now. I wanted to love them, but in many cases, they were just too bitter to be enjoyable. I wasn’t using them ideally for awhile, and was becoming discouraged. But it turns out that I wasn’t working with their natural properties very well. There were recipes I made where I didn’t want peppers that were too sweet (most bell peppers) or that were too spicy. Poblanos are perfect there!
Some of my favorite uses for poblanos now are in creamy soups where I need just a little hit of peppers but don’t want sweetness. I also like adding them to chili.
The second obsession was Guy’s Grocery Games. The Food Network has been my go-to “relaxing” TV time since I was a teenager. I have gone through various shows, but always something where they’re actively cooking and creating new things. I get ideas on what to try next when I’m messing around in the kitchen. On that show, the contestants were constantly talking about how they needed to make great sauces for their dishes…and showing different ways to do it. I had to get in on that action.
Enter: my idea to make a ‘great sauce’ and use poblanos to do it. And tomatillos. And round all that out with some onion, cilantro, and lime juice (don’t forget that acid!).
Recipe Collection: Tomatillo-Poblano Green Salsa
This sauce is soooo simple to make. It’s maybe 5 – 10 minutes of active time, and it all comes together in just over 30 minutes.
I’ve used it on roast chicken (that’s my favorite), grilled steak, and even as a base for a green chili. It’s good in all the ways! Try grilling with it during the warm months, or using it on a taco pretty much whenever. It’s tart and tangy and fun.
All you need to do this (besides the ingredients) is a roasting pan, a knife, and a blender. Even if you don’t cook much…you can do this.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. tomatillos, outer shell removed
- 1 large white onion
- 4 poblano peppers
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 – 2 tsp. salt
Directions:
Step 1: Cut onion into quarters and remove skin.
Step 2: Place onion chunks, tomatillos, and poblano peppers on a roasting pan. Roast at 400 for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the veggies are blistered.
Step 3: Gently remove the tops of the poblano peppers. Scoop all the veggies into a blender.
Step 4: Add 1/2 bunch of cilantro (leaves only), juice of 1 lime, and 1 tsp. salt.
Step 5: Blend until it reaches your desired consistency. You can leave it a little chunky or make it completely smooth.
Step 6: Taste and adjust salt as needed.
That’s it! Now your sauce is ready to use on whatever you like. And if you add enough lime juice (you can pH test it to be under 5), you can even water-bath can it for later use!
