(Oprima aquí para la receta en Español)

One of the things I like about making my own salsa at home is that I can control what ingredients, and in what amounts, goes in my food – especially salt. Many times I have purchased prepared salsa from the grocery store primarily for convenience but often times they are loaded with salt. And research has shown that salt (or sodium) has been associated with risk for cardiovascular health. Our bodies do need sodium to function properly and there are many foods that naturally contain small amounts of sodium. It is recommended to aim for less than 1500 mg and no more than 2300mg of added salt from food. This is equivalent to about ¾ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon per day.

There are many foods that I use salsa verde with such as a dip for tortilla chips, in tacos, nachos, burritos, and even as a marinade for tofu. But my absolute favorite way to have it is with tortilla chips as a snack. I add a lot of cilantro to my salsa recipe and use it quite often in my cooking. I love the aroma and the flavor it gives to foods. But I also love spicy food (it comes with my Hispanic heritage) and one of the reasons why I add a large serrano chili. For a milder salsa, you may remove the seeds and white flesh from the chili prior to adding it to the blender. That’s the beauty about making salsa at home, you can truly make it to your liking!

Check out the recipe for my Spicy Tempeh Tacos where you can use this salsa

Salsa Verde

Serves: Makes about 2 cups
Total Time: 10 - 12 minutes
Meal Type: Miscellaneous

Ingredients

• 7 – 8 green tomatillos, papery skin removed
• 1 garlic, whole with skin removed
• 1 serrano chili, whole
• ½ bunch of cilantro
• ¼ cup of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Remove papery skin from tomatillos and rinse well.

2. Place tomatillos and serrano chili in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for about 6 – 8 minutes, or until tomatillos are soft and light greenish in color.

3. Place tomatillos, chili, garlic, cilantro, water and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until smooth (you may add less or more water to reach desired consistency).

4. Pour prepared salsa into a container and enjoy.