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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Patty B. says
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.
Bonnie Waderich says
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.😊
Laura Clarke-Giberson says
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.
lureen says
How much vinegar? I want to can these.
Michelle says
My family loves this recipe so much. I roast the halved and seeded jalapeños with the green tomatoes for a little different flavor profile.
CJ says
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!
Christy Smith says
In the CA foothills I still have many green tomatos! I am gonna do this. Thanks!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Lucky you!!
Sandra says
This is excellent and a great way to enjoy those late growing tomatoes. Thanks
Debbie says
Several people have asked about freezing? Can you please respond if it CAN be frozen?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
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.
Jackie says
Yes you can freeze, freezes very well, you would never know that it was frozen.
Connie Bartram says
Will this recipe freeze okay? I want to do more than I can eat right away.
Jacqueline T says
I mean can this salsa be canned?
Alexander says
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.
Jacqueline T says
Hi,
Can this recipe be can? I have lots of green tomatoes and would like to use them all.
Carrie says
My GUESS is no, because there is no vinegar, which is a preservative for canned goods such as salsa.
Jim says
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.
Jody Smiley says
how long in fridge will this last if not canned ?
Nicole says
I’m wondering the same.
Martha says
Can you use sweet peppers instead of hot ones?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hmm, the overall result might come out tasting too sweet… but you could try it. I love heat, so hadn’t considered this
lily says
would this recipe be ok to can?
Emily says
Absolutely not! There is not enough acid.
Gina Cheaney says
Yes. You could add citric acid, lemon juice, or vinegar.
Ginette says
Can we use green cherry tomatoes for this recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I think that would probably work!
Carolyn says
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! 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Discard the water, use the onion
Donna says
Drain the water off of the onions and add the onions.
Sarah Menard says
I thought the same thing!