Recipe of the Month: Lenore’s Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa

 I learned to make this salsa in NYC, from my neighbor who was taught by her mother-in-law in Puebla, Mexico. It definitely is a crowd pleaser and it’s quick and super-easy to make. The following recipe will make about two cups of salsa but I usually make at least double this amount.

When serving with chips, I use a small bowl and refill often as it doesn’t keep well after being dipped into. The “undipped” portion will keep in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes well if it is to be used in a cooked dish afterwards, such as enchiladas or pollo en salsa verde. 

When choosing the ingredients, fresh is always best of course. In many places, tomatillos are sold with the husk attached. Peek under that husk and choose those which are a lighter green color and firm to the touch. The darker colored ones are more sour or bitter and limey. As for the avocado, you want them to be firm but not hard. Choose those that have a bit of softness when given a gentle squeeze. To achieve the bright green color of this salsa, avoid overly ripe or discolored avocados. I did include one clove of garlic in the ingredient list. Full disclosure: garlic is not part of the original Puebla recipe, but garlic is so good. I use a lot of garlic in my cooking, but find that just one clove complements this recipe without being overpowering. The original recipe calls for jalapeños. I’ve used serrano chilis with success, but find habaneros are too dominant. You can usually smell the heat in a chile. For those who can’t handle the spice, too much heat can make it impossible to enjoy. Removing seeds will reduce the heat. Unless you are confident you’ll be serving this to spicy food lovers, it’s also a good idea to add the chile bit by bit until you are satisfied with the flavor.

This  basic recipe is very amenable to variation. The ratio of avocado, tomatillo and chiles is a matter of preference and also of how you plan to use the salsa. A thicker salsa is nice with chips and a thinner consistency is good for enchiladas or over rice and chicken.

When I serve this tomatillo and avocado salsa as a dip with chips, I like to have it alongside a red salsa of choice.  It’s also nice to drizzle over chicken and rice or veggies and rice and pairs very well with cauliflower. I’ve discovered it’s a lovely change from the regular green or red enchilada salsa or to substitute for the green salsa in pollo en salsa verde recipes. Last but not least, it’s delicious on scrambled eggs and atop cheese quesadillas. As you can see, it’s good on most things!

Ingredients

1 hass avocado, remove the pit

4 medium tomatillos (or 7 small), husks removed

1-2 jalapeño (adjust amounts to your palette and love of spice. If you're sensitive to spice, remove the seeds before blending) 

1 clove of garlic (not part of the original Puebla recipe but garlic is so good) 

chunk of white onion (¼ of a small onion)

healthy handful of cilantro with thick stems removed 

salt to taste 

purified water to use for boiling

Instructions

1)  Place the whole tomatillos and the whole jalapeño in a small pot and bring to a low boil for about 10-12 minutes. 

2)  When the tomatillos are soft and a lighter green, pull them out of the boiling water and put them directly into a blender. 

3) Leave the pepper to boil for a few more minutes until it's soft and loses its vibrant color. Remove it when soft.*

*SAVE THE WATER FROM THE TOMATILLOS AND CHILE PEPPER and set aside. 

4) Remove the pepper stem and put the desired amount of chili pepper in a blender. We suggest adding the pepper bit by bit, and/or removing the seeds so it doesn't come out too spicy. 

5) Add the chunk of onion, garlic if using, avocado and salt to the blender. 

6) Blend by pulsing until it's smooth. If it’s too thick to blend add very small amounts (spoonfuls) of leftover tomatillo water to get desired thickness. 

7) Add cilantro to the blender and blend together. Continue adding spoonfuls of leftover boiled water if necessary. 

8)  Adjust salt to taste. 4 large pinches is a good start. When using avocados for salsas, salt really brings out the flavor so don’t be shy with it if you feel it needs more.

Enjoy!

If you want to try out some other Mexican, Yucatec or Maya recipes from the Na’atik family, visit our blog where new recipes are uploaded every month, along with articles about culture, history and language.

If you want to sample the unique flavors of the Mexican Caribbean, the best place is in the kitchens of local families. Na’atik MaS (Maya and Spanish) immersion students stay with one of our local families during their time with us, sharing three meals a day with their host family. To find out more about how you can improve your language skills and experience the real Mexico, visit our immersion page or send our team an email at say@naatikmexico.org today.