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Home » Condiments » Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

July 23, 2019 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 87 Comments

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When you’ve got green tomatoes, the natural response is to fry them (check out my vegan fried green tomatoes if you wanna know how!), but what about those days when you want to eat something not-deep-fried? I’ve got you covered with this bright and summery green tomato salsa verde.

A bowl of green tomato salsa surrounded by tortilla chips with whole green tomatoes and peppers in the background.

When I was looking for ways to use green tomatoes that aren’t fried, I came across this green tomato salsa recipe by the New York Times. I followed it to the letter and it was watery as all get out and seriously lacked acid and salt. A rare misstep from the NYT!

However, they did give me a good base and the great idea to broil the green tomatoes for a few minutes to sweeten them up and add a little bit of tasty charred flavor. Since the broiling is quick, it’s not so painful in the summertime compared to boiling or roasting tomatillos in the oven for a traditional salsa verde.

Steps for cutting and prepping green tomatoes for salsa: halve the tomatoes, "core" out the centers, then quarter them.

Like any good salsa, this green tomato salsa verde is seasoned with a few other fresh ingredients: onion, cilantro, and lime juice.

I’ve simplified the steps in the NYT version as well as omitted the confusing addition of water. These green tomatoes are juicy enough already! (I promise the haterade will stop flowing now).

Instead of broiling whole green tomatoes and then having to wait for them to cool and remove the skins and cores, I do a poor man’s coring (see above) and quarter them in advance and I throw the skins right into the food processor with everything else. Green tomato salsa, simplified!

Steps for blending green tomato salsa: pulse charred green tomatoes into chunks, soak onions to remove their bitter flavor, then pulse the rest of the ingredients together to puree the salsa.

Soaking the raw onion in cold water for a little while before cooking will help soften its sharpness while still giving you plenty of oniony flavor.

Close-up of green tomato salsa on a tortilla chip

All told, you can whip up this green tomato salsa in a few short minutes. If you want to achieve total green tomato inception, use this as a dip/spread for fried green tomatoes, but otherwise, use it anywhere you’d use a normal salsa verde. The green tomatoes are a little sweeter than tomatillos would be, and I think this is excellent when paired with something that’s tangy and spicy, like my BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches or my Chipotle Roasted Beet Tacos.

Green Tomato Salsa Verde | Yup, it's Vegan
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5 from 31 votes

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Easy, flavorful green tomato salsa verde made with piquant onion, cilantro, and chili, and lightly charred fresh green tomatoes.
Course condiments, dips
Cuisine dairy-free, gluten-free, Mexican, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword green tomato salsa
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 18kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 lb green tomatoes (green = unripe)
  • 1/2 medium white onion diced
  • 1 or 2 serrano peppers thinly sliced (mine were super hot, so I only used 1)
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp lime juice or to taste

Instructions

  • Halve the green tomatoes and slice out the interior section around the stem (see the instructional image in my post), then cut in half again to make quarters. Lay out the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.
  • Turn on the broiler in your oven and set the baking sheet on a top rack a few inches from the flames. Broil for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. (If your oven does not have a broiler, use the hottest temperature your oven can reach and roast for 10 minutes or until lightly browned).
  • Meanwhile, add the diced onions to a bowl and fill with cold water to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the broiled green tomatoes to your food processor and pulse a few times to break them into pieces. Drain the water from the onion and add it along with the peppers, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse a few more times, until the desired texture is reached. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lime juice if desired. The green tomato salsa can be served immediately, but it's even better after an hour or more in the fridge for the flavors to meld.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quarter cup | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 23.9mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Filed Under: Condiments, Dips, Summer Tagged With: citrus, CSA, gluten-free, grain-free, high-raw, Mexican-inspired, nut-free, oil-free, plant-strong, quick, refined sugar-free, soy-free, sweetener-free

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Comments

  1. Patty B. says

    November 11, 2022 at 07:17

    Experts say homemade salsa is good to eat up to 5 or 6 days in refrigerator. After that, don’t take a chance. It can be frozen, then thawed as needed.

    Reply
  2. Bonnie Waderich says

    October 28, 2022 at 17:37

    I just made this recipe and it’s delicious. Thanks for the recipe! Now I know what to do with green tomatoes when they won’t ripen on the vine.😊

    Reply
  3. Laura Clarke-Giberson says

    September 23, 2022 at 16:56

    I have canned this with success, but you do have to add vinegar to the mix(not much as lime juice and tomatoes themselves add plenty of acid) to make it safe for water canning. You could do this recipe as written if you are prepared to pressure can.

    Reply
    • lureen says

      October 2, 2022 at 15:28

      How much vinegar? I want to can these.

      Reply
  4. Michelle says

    July 19, 2022 at 17:38

    5 stars
    My family loves this recipe so much. I roast the halved and seeded jalapeños with the green tomatoes for a little different flavor profile.

    Reply
  5. CJ says

    December 10, 2021 at 15:41

    5 stars
    Just made today, yes December 10th with green tomatoes! Living on the Sonoran Desert makes it possible! Used 2 pounds of green tomatoes and a large onion and one jalapeño pepper, didn’t have cilantro so use a sprinkle of cumin. Fabulous!

    Reply
    • Christy Smith says

      December 20, 2021 at 14:12

      In the CA foothills I still have many green tomatos! I am gonna do this. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

        December 30, 2021 at 12:57

        Lucky you!!

  6. Sandra says

    October 23, 2021 at 14:36

    5 stars
    This is excellent and a great way to enjoy those late growing tomatoes. Thanks

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    October 15, 2021 at 19:12

    Several people have asked about freezing? Can you please respond if it CAN be frozen?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      October 15, 2021 at 21:06

      Hi Debbie, I haven’t answered this question because I don’t know the answer. I have not tried freezing this salsa and I’m not sure.

      Reply
    • Jackie says

      October 25, 2021 at 14:14

      Yes you can freeze, freezes very well, you would never know that it was frozen.

      Reply
  8. Connie Bartram says

    October 11, 2021 at 12:09

    Will this recipe freeze okay? I want to do more than I can eat right away.

    Reply
  9. Jacqueline T says

    October 8, 2021 at 01:38

    I mean can this salsa be canned?

    Reply
    • Alexander says

      October 30, 2022 at 11:08

      I have attached a link that used for determining if this salsa can be canned.
      https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_intro.html

      You can add lemon juice or citric acid to bring the acidic level up. I have used citric acid for canning my red tomato, with success for many years.
      Just be sure it is food grade.

      Reply
  10. Jacqueline T says

    October 8, 2021 at 01:36

    Hi,
    Can this recipe be can? I have lots of green tomatoes and would like to use them all.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      October 17, 2021 at 13:47

      My GUESS is no, because there is no vinegar, which is a preservative for canned goods such as salsa.

      Reply
  11. Jim says

    October 5, 2021 at 18:23

    5 stars
    As good, or better than my tomatillo salsa verde.

    There was absolutely no liquid (Romas) when I started trying to blend. Ended up having to add 1/2 cup of water to get the blender to do its thing.

    I had no serranos so used one ripe jalapeño instead and it was perfect for my gringo taste buds.

    Now I wish I had more green tomatoes because the original batch didn’t keep.

    Reply
  12. Jody Smiley says

    October 1, 2021 at 09:07

    how long in fridge will this last if not canned ?

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      October 10, 2021 at 13:57

      I’m wondering the same.

      Reply
  13. Martha says

    September 28, 2021 at 18:01

    Can you use sweet peppers instead of hot ones?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 29, 2021 at 07:36

      Hmm, the overall result might come out tasting too sweet… but you could try it. I love heat, so hadn’t considered this

      Reply
  14. lily says

    September 22, 2021 at 23:30

    would this recipe be ok to can?

    Reply
    • Emily says

      November 3, 2021 at 08:51

      Absolutely not! There is not enough acid.

      Reply
    • Gina Cheaney says

      October 30, 2022 at 01:47

      Yes. You could add citric acid, lemon juice, or vinegar.

      Reply
  15. Ginette says

    September 15, 2021 at 23:36

    Can we use green cherry tomatoes for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 17, 2021 at 09:13

      5 stars
      I think that would probably work!

      Reply
  16. Carolyn says

    September 14, 2021 at 15:19

    I am a little confused by this instruction:
    “Drain the water from the onion and add it along with the peppers, salt, cilantro, and lime juice.”
    The way you’ve constructed the sentence, it seems like you add the water, not the onion. Is this right?
    Thanks – looking forward to trying this! 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      September 14, 2021 at 15:21

      Discard the water, use the onion

      Reply
    • Donna says

      September 16, 2021 at 20:25

      Drain the water off of the onions and add the onions.

      Reply
    • Sarah Menard says

      October 18, 2021 at 21:58

      I thought the same thing!

      Reply
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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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