Avocado Tomatillo Salsa {updated}

This verdant spread is like a cross between tomatillo salsa and guacamole. Serve up a batch of avocado tomatillo salsa with a platter of chips and vegetables for dipping, or dollop it on tacos, chilaquiles, enchiladas, or burrito bowls. 

This time of summer is always bittersweet. Technically we still have weeks of the season left, but since many schools start back about this time, I keep hearing things like “summer’s over!!!” It always sends me into a panic. Have I eaten enough peaches, nectarines, plums, and tomatoes yet?? NEVER.

One of my favorite vegetable-fruits that comes into season about now is tomatillos. I’ve pretty much only used them for one thing over the past 8 years and that is this avocado tomatillo salsa, a recipe I made up in the first year of TBG. I recently revisited it and took some fresh photos in celebration of Maggie Pate’s The Natural Colors Cookbook.

Maggie makes beautiful aprons, scarves, kitchen linens, and textiles at her shop Nade Studio. I always love seeing her beguiling photos pop up on Instagram and it’s a bonus when her cats and kittens get a feature. Her new book shows how to use food scraps – spent tea and coffee, onion skins, pomegranate rinds, rhubarb leaves, and many more – to color natural fibers in all the hues of the rainbow. The book also features craft projects such as DIY throw pillows, linen aprons, wall hangings, and breathing new life into vintage tops and napkins.

Can you guess which ingredient dyed this linen its beautiful blush hue? It’s probably not what you think…

Avocado skins! Some kind of magic happens when avocado skins get boiled at length and steeped with fabric. A warm pink hue emerges.

Now let’s talk about the inside of the avocados – the creamy, green, edible part and how they meld with tangy tomatillos, cilantro, and lime to become a creamy take on guacamole here. Tomatillos look complicated, but just peel away their papery husks, boil them briefly until softened and army-green, and throw them in a blender with a few flavorings. Their bright, mild, and tangy taste lends itself well to rich ingredients like cheese, chips, and beans. Blending in avocado makes a thick dip or spread that’s like a silky smooth, lightened up version of guacamole.

We put avocado tomatillo salsa on just about anything when it’s in the house. Afternoon snacks of vegetables and chips. Quick tacos with sauteed veggies, cheese, and beans. Storebought veggie tamales. Egg dishes or breakfast tacos. Quesadillas, chilaquiles, and burrito bowls. Anywhere you’d use guacamole or pico de gallo, this avocado tomatillo salsa shines.

So if you make a batch of this avocado tomatillo salsa, don’t forget to save the avocado skins. Grab a copy of The Natural Colors Cookbook and use them to color your world blushing pink.

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this avocado tomatillo salsa, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps  @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa {updated}

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Tomatillo salsa meets guacamole in this creamy green dip or dollop that keeps well for up to several days.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 9 servings, about 3 cups

Author: The Bojon Gourmet

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chiles (more or less to taste; see headnote)
• 1 pound (about 10 medium) tomatillos, husks removed
• 1/4 large yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed, stems removed and discarded, a few leaves reserved for garnish
• juice of 1 – 2 limes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 2 medium, ripe avocados, peeled and pitted, flesh scooped out

Instructions

• Roast the poblanos either over an open flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered all over, 5-10 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle, then, wearing gloves if your skin is sensitive to capsicum, peel off the skins. Slice the peppers in half and remove the veins and seeds. (If the peppers are very spicy, you can rinse them to remove more of the capsicum, which concentrates in the seeds and veins.) Chop the flesh coarsely.
• Meanwhile, place the tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, until the tomatillos turn a drab green. Drain and let cool slightly.
• Combine the tomatillos in a food processor or blender with the poblanos (if the peppers are very spicy, you may not want to add all of them), and onion. Blend until smooth, and to release some heat. Let cool to room temperature, 20-30 minutes, then add the cilantro leaves, the juice of 1 lime, salt, and the avocado flesh. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, lime juice, or poblano to taste. Serve right away or chill until needed.
• The salsa is prettiest within the first day or two day when it is bright green, but it will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

Serve it anywhere you would guacamole or salsa: quesadillas, tacos, egg dishes, etc.

Recipe originally published in 2010 here.

Since poblano chilies vary widely in spiciness, you may need just a bit of one for heat, or they may be so mild that you'll want to add an even spicier chili, like a jalapeño or serrano, or a pinch or two of cayenne. It's a bit of a crap shoot, so be sure to taste your peppers before adding them into your salsa.

Extra roasted chili can be stored in the freezer and used as needed.

Nutritional values are based on one of nine servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 417mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 8.2% | Vitamin C: 40.1% | Calcium: 1.3% | Iron: 3.9%

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!