Ken and I lived in the Dallas area for six years and fell hard for Tex Mex cuisine. Moving south from central Indiana in 1973, we found the hispanic food of Texas restaurants to be a FAR cry from the few and far between fast food tacos stands we knew in the midwest. We could eat our weight in the chuncky fresh guacamole, chips and salsa. OK, we can still do that, but back then it was life changing. And I got hooked on sour cream chicken enchiladas. I worked at a dental office around Oak Lawn & Turtle Creek, and quickly became a fan of the nearby Ojeda’s Restaurant. It was a relatively new restaurant back then, but it’s no surprise it’s still around today.

I make no claim to cooking authenitic Mexican dishes, but our Dallas dining experiences certainly influenced what we think of as Tex Mex comfort food and what I eventually began to prepare at home. If you follow Sally’s View blog, you’ve learned that I not only love to cook, I love food preservation – canning, freezing, and occasionally drying. One of the items I tried canning a couple of years ago was tomatillo salsa verde. Yes, you can buy it anywhere, but it’s so easy to make (also quick & preservative-free). It’s become a pantry staple, ready whenever I crave those delicious sour cream chicken enchiladas. Here’s my tomatillo sauce process and the recipe:

Fresh tomatillos & jalapenos
Husked tomatillos
Jalapenos charring
Charred jalapenos
Tomatillos & jalapenos ready to go
Jalapenos, charred, stemmed & seeded
All the sauce ingredients in the pool!
Blending cooked tomatillo sauce ingredients
Tomatillo Sauce
Tomatillo salsa verde ready for the canner
Print Pin

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

A perfect pantry staple made from tomatillos, charred jalapenos & 4 other simple ingredients.
Servings 6 pint jars

Ingredients

  • 8 tomatillos
  • 5 jalapenos
  • 2-3 cups water
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 Tbs Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Husk & rinse tomatillos, cutting each into 4-6 pieces, depending on size.
  • Char jalapenos on open flame (gas cooktop or grill) or under broiler. Cool. Remove stems & seeds and discard.
  • Peel & rough chop (or smash) garlic cloves. Rough chop onion.
  • Add all 6 ingredients to a dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 20 minutes.
  • Blend cooked ingredients with immersion/stick blender.
  • If canning, ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
  • If freezing, cool completely. Portion into small containers (with lids), or freeze in silicone ice trays for cubes of salsa for soups or chili. (Store cubes in freezer bag.)

This is the easy-peasy recipe I use now for chicken enchiladas – Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Verde. I’m more of a “what’s already in my frig” kind of cook, so I don’t particularly follow the recipe’s product brand suggestions. Whatever ingredient brands you have or prefer will work just fine. I don’t think the enchiladas freeze well, so we typically store any leftovers in the frig and reheat for an easy lunch. The sauce is also great in soups, and I occasionally add it to white chicken chili. Whether you can or freeze the sauce, I hope you’ll give Tomatillo Salsa Verde a try!

Written by

sallymcw

One thing that makes my journey unique is that all of my interests are driven by a joyful and genuine curiosity. I delight in finding less expensive ways to make something or creative ways to enjoy something longer. Finding and creating joy - and sharing it - is core to who I am.