Salsa verde (lit. 'green sauce') is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2020)

Salsa verde

Type	Green sauce
Place of origin	Mexico
Main ingredients	tomatillo, chili pepper
Media: Salsa verde

The tomatillo-based Mexican salsa verde dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, and is distinct from the various medieval European parsley-based green sauces.[1]

In the cuisines of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, it is often served with Mexican or Tex-Mex style dishes like enchiladas and chicharrón (pork rinds). The version typical of New Mexico consists mostly of green chile rather than tomatillos.

Types

This green sauce comes in subtypes: cooked sauce, in which the ingredients are cooked and then ground; roasted salsa, in which the elements are roasted on a comal and then ground; raw sauce, in which ingredients are ground and eaten without cooking; and a combination in which some of the elements are cooked. A molcajete or a blender can be used for the grinding process. Cooking or roasting the tomatillo will enhance the flavor, providing a sweeter salsa.[2] After the sauce is prepared, it can be cooked again in a pan with a little oil.

See also

• Green sauce
• Salsa roja
• Pipián (sauce), another Mexican green sauce

References

• Bayless, Rick; Mexico One Plate at a Time (2000); ISBN 978-0684841861
• Muñoz Zurita, Ricardo; Pequeño Larousee de la Gastronomía Mexicana (2013); ISBN 9786072107373