Salsa Verde | Mild to Medium

Mild to Medium Salsa Verde

Today, we’ll learn how to make a delicious Salsa Verde recipe that’s actually Mild to Medium in spiciness. And if you like it spicier, I’ll give you tips on how to make that happen.

This recipe was specifically designed for folks who prefer a mild to medium level of spiciness but still want to indulge in the deliciousness of salsa verde. There are recipe variations to make it spicier, if that is your preference.

You will need a few simple ingredients, including a white onion, garlic, tomatillos, jalapeño peppers, fresh cilantro, limes, and some sea salt.

Salsa Verde | Recipe

We’ll start by peeling away the husks of the tomatillos. You will find that underneath a sticky residue remains. You will need to wash each tomatillo thoroughly to make sure that residue is removed and the tomatillos are clean. You will want to wash all the other fruits and vegetables as well, but special attention must be paid to the tomatillos.

Next, we’ll take our onion and cut it in half. Half an onion is all that’s needed for this recipe. Then take that half an onion and cut it into four parts. This is just for ease of use later on. Then cut the stems off of two jalapeño peppers.

In a large pot, add two jalapeño peppers, approximately 1 and 1/2 lbs of tomatillos, three cloves of garlic, and a half an onion quartered. Then add water into the pot until it covers the vegetables.

Turn the stove top on to high and allow the water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, stir the contents a little. Then turn the burner down to medium heat and let the vegetables boil for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring the pot as you go.

While you’re waiting, slice two limes in half.

Once the 10 minutes are up, turn the burner off and remove all the vegetables except for the jalapeño peppers, transferring the vegetables into a high-powered blender or large food processor. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer strainer is very helpful with this.

I’m using the Blendec Blender, which is a high-powered blender that I’ve owned for over 10 years. I recently made a 10-year review of the Blendec, which you can watch here: 10 Year Review of Blendtec Blender: Is It Worth the Hype?! 

Now take the jalapeño peppers and place them on a cutting board and allow them to cool for a few minutes.

Take half a lime, put it in a lemon squeezer, and release all the juices into the Blendtec jar. Repeat this step for all four lime halves.

Once the jalapeño peppers are cool enough to work with, we remove the seeds. Boiling helps to bring out a milder taste, and removing the jalapeño pepper seeds is a big help as well. Sometimes if you run a little water over the seeds, it helps to get the last ones off the pepper.

Now, put the jalapeño peppers into the Blendec as well as any remaining vegetables. If you like a little bit more of a kick, you can put the jalapeño peppers whole in the blender, keeping the seeds intact.

Then add the fresh cilantro and press it down. Now it’s time to blend it all together. On the Blendec, I like to pulse a few times, then put it on the smoothie cycle. We are pureeing the vegetables whole, keeping as much of the fiber intact as possible, which creates the healthiest version of the dish.

Then we’ll salt to taste, which is usually about 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Then pulse it again for about 10 seconds. This will yield roughly 32 oz of Salsa Verde, enough for a large gathering. If you are serving a smaller group, recipe adjustments are available in the recipe card right below this section.

Salsa Verde | Taste & Consistency 

This Salsa Verde comes out with a beautifully thick but completely combined consistency. But how does it taste? It is so fresh and  delicious. And it has just a little kick to it. Enough heat to add to the dish, but nothing like a standard salsa verde, which usually packs quite a punch on the Scoville scale.

If you do like your salsa verde spicy, consider roasting or broiling the vegetables and substituting a serrano pepper for one of the jalapeño peppers. And if you want it really hot, keep those seeds intact before you blend the vegetables together.

The loveliest part of this recipe to me is that we are using the whole vegetables, getting as much nutrition as possible, while still allowing for a mild to medium taste through boiling and seed removal of the jalapeño peppers. That gives it the freshest taste and the most nutritional value. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!