Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Greetings food adventurers! Today we stay closer to home – and visit the garden in my backyard. A batch of tomatillos has just ripened, and that means it is time for Enchiladas Verdes! This translates to Green Enchiladas, and they are green thanks to the tomatillo enchilada sauce. Purple tomatillos lose their color when they are cooked and also make a green sauce. Both colors taste the same so use whatever you can find. Farmers markets and grocery stores sometimes have these available; look for firm fruit that is just barely bursting out of the paper husks.
Cilantro haters: Read the note at the end of the recipe. (I too am genetically anti-cilantro)
For a very basic enchilada recipe: Fry corn tortillas in oil for just a minute or so to make them pliable. Put a Tablespoon or two in them with whatever you like – shredded chicken, beef, beans, Monterey jack cheese… let your imagination (and your fridge leftovers) be your guide. Roll these up tightly and put them in a baking dish (9×9″ or 9×13″ depending on quantity). Pour enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle grated cheese over the sauce, and bake at 375 F for 10-15 minutes until everything is hot and melty.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Tomatillos and tomatoes are completely different plants. Green tomatoes CANNOT be used interchangeably with tomatillos. If you don’t have tomatillos, check out this recipe for Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce.
- Despite the photo, tomatillo flowers and leaves are TOXIC and should not be included in food in any way. I am usually much better about using edible flowers but this was an oops… and it came out so pretty I am keeping the picture anyway.
Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Special Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh tomatillos
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 serrano chiles or substitute: 2 jalapeƱos
- Ā½ cup to 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves see note
- Ā¼ cup white or yellow onion roughly chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 Tbsp oil olive, peanut, or avocado work well
Instructions
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos (husks will not be used and are not edible; those can go into the compost bin or trash).
- Rinse the tomatillos in cold water. They will be sticky under the husks. (This is a sign of healthy tomatillos and is completely normal.)
- Place the tomatillos and garlic cloves in a pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until tomatillos change their color from bright to pale green, are cooked through, and are soft but not coming apart.
- CAREFULLY place the tomatillos, garlic and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in a blender and puree. (you may need to let the tomatillos cool down a bit or use a blender lid with a hole in the top to let out the heat; hot things in blenders tend to be dangerous so use good judgement!)
- Add the chiles, cilantro leaves, onion, and salt to the blender. Puree again until smooth.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking.
- Carefully pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until it thickens and deepens in color. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
