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.
Leanne P. says
Hi there. Once this salsa is made is it possible to freeze and use later? Just wanted to know as I have lots of green tomatoes to use.
Cady says
Another excellent use for salsa Verde is mix in 1/2-or 1cup of salsa into your rice when having a Mexican themed dinner
Vivien Park says
Delicious salsa and by far the best use for green tomatoes, thanks for the recipe!
CASSANDRA says
How many green onions n can I add bell pepers/ mango
Jessica says
This is amazing!! I randomly bought green tomatoes at a produce stand and I had no idea what to make with them. This salsa turned out even better than expected. Such an interesting refreshing flavor compared to regular salsa. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Lisa says
Great use of the last of the green tomatoes!! Delicious!
I am a canner but would caution against canning this recipe without cooking it and adding vinegar (which would change the flavour in a way I don’t think I’d like). Botulism is nothing to flirt with!
lisa says
Also forgot to note: I lightly sauteed the onions in some of the excess tomato juice, because I didn’t want too strong of an onion flavour. Added extra lime and wished I’d had a spicier pepper than the mild jalapeno I added.
Paul Kelly says
What type of vinegar and how much per qrt jar?
Julie Nichols says
Really easy to make. The only thing I added was garlic (2 cloves added to the tomatoes before broiling). I used one jalapeño which is not really hot enough for me but just right for my husband. Made way too much for the two of us, so sharing with my son and family. Definitely will make this again as it’s a great way to use up those green tomatoes. Thanks!
CASSANDRA says
How many green onions n canoys Sar I add bell pepers/ mango first time I’ve ever asked aquestion can add garlic
Noel says
LOVE that I don’t have to throw out all those green tomatoes! I had so many (over a gallon once they were blended) that the flavor was off…too much lime, not enough heat or depth. So I added garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chipotle. Perfect flavor with a subtle heat on the back end!
Laura S says
I was feeling sad about tossing all my green cherry tomatoes so I found this recipe. And figured I had nothing to lose so I made it. I added a little garlic powder and used two Serrano peppers which was too hot for me but my husband can handle it. The roasting is a must, and I might add more lime juice or something. I’m about to go out and pick the rest of my tomatoes and experiment with a few more batches.
Shellet says
Amazing recipe. I added garlic and extra lemon juice. Was perfect. I do not can and assume this will keep only 1 week in fridge so can it be frozen in glass jar?
Anna Race says
Does this receipe freeze well?
Petr says
I’ll be trying this for the first time, but I freeze my tomatillo salsa verde and it’s great. Just make sure to skip the onions and cilantro and add them fresh when you thaw it.
Ben Duck says
I just made this with all my leftover green tomatoes and I think the broiling idea worked great. Some of the skins were easily peeled off so I removed some but not all the skin before chopping. I tripled the recipe or more and added extra onion, a few bell peppers and jalapeños, some sugar, some fresh garlic and extra lime and salt. I also quartered a bunch of my leftover red and orange cherry tomatoes and tossed them in at the end to add some chunk and color.. Result was excellent. This is a keeper.
Maritha says
Great add ons!
Skylar Topping says
You can add lemon me lime juice to increase acidity which I would recommend. Water bath for 20 minutes for all tomato canning. Reduces change of botulism.
Going to try canning this.
Margaret Thomas says
I was thinking I might try the same thing (add more lime for acidity). My son has a tool to test the acidity in food before canning that I’m going to try and borrow.
Did you try it ?
Manuela says
Soooo good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Best,
Manuela
Teresa says
I didn’t want to lose all my green tomatoes so I thought I’d give this a try….. boy am I glad I did! The recipe is great but I always have to add a new ingredient so I added pineapple. It works for me since I am not a hit and Spicy gal …. I use green and red peppers in place of jalapeños. Yes I canned some and it looks great 😊. Thanks….. I give it 5 stars ⭐️
Nina Maas says
How would you can this salsa?
Edward Bergonzi says
I’m making now. Kiwi fruit would also be a good addition.
Crystal says
Fantastic taste. I did need to add some water like the original recipe otherwise it was too thick. I think because most of my tomatoes were paste/plum tomatoes. No other changes necessary. Absolutely best way to use up end of season green tomatoes.
JEN says
This was excellent, great idea roasting the tomato, will make this again, THANK YOU!!
Maureen Dwyer says
Can you freeze it? We had a very early frost so I had to bring in close to 30 lbs. of green tomatoes!!
Jeanette says
Switch out the salt and added powdered chicken broth adds excellent flavor. I also canned mines and added jalapenos. Nice recipe!
Matthew says
How long did you process them? Were you able to do it in a water bath, or did you have to pressure can them? I was looking for canning info for green tomatoes!
Brenda says
Hey Matthew, did you try canning this? I’m looking for a canning recipe too.
Kandy says
Suzanne Martin says
October 15, 2019 at 18:03
5 starsIf your going to can this make sure you follow the safety rules of canning.
Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Combine tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Nadine says
Just made this today…to add to chicken tacos. It is super flavorful. I did add two cloves of garlic with the tomatoes before putting under broiler.
Dawn says
Ooo, good call
Lucie Pabin says
I don’t have any cilantro – has anyone tried this not using cilantro? Or is there a good substitute?
Dixie B. says
I didn’t use cilantro and I added a garlic clove. I also added a red tomato because I had one I needed to use. Turned out yummy.
Jwiltz says
This is delicious! I used up the last of the green tomatoes with this recipe. Everyone loved it and were surprised it was made with green tomatoes. Such a wonderful treat.
Bre says
This is amazing! Wasn’t expecting such a great tastes from green Tomatoes. Thats for saving the rest of the harvest!
Judy says
Delicious. Can hardly wait to serve to my teenage grandchildren!
Sarah says
I can attest to the gross NYT recipe. Sadly, I tried it before this one because it had 5 stars out of 166 votes, while YIV only had 4 votes. I tried the NYT version on my first haul of green tomatoes and was sorely disappointed. It was so watery that I ended up straining it and losing what little flavor it had through the juice loss. I tried to doctor it with cumin and more lime juice but it just never was GOOD. Hauled in my last batch of green tomatoes yesterday ahead of the coming frost and decided to give this recipe a shot. WOW>>>>> First, the speed was amazing, I slaved over the NYT recipe peeling pounds of tomatoes. This method took no time at all. I think parboiling the tomatoes to peel them added to the wateryness of their recipe, because this time my salsa was a perfect consistency! The flavor is bright and tangy and fresh too, I normally tweak seasoning but this was on point as written.
Anyway, lesson learned, 166 people are not always right, take a chance on the other recipe that still has five stars but only a handful of reviews! I wish I could rate this recipe 200 more times!
(Also for those canning, do a 20 min water bath per Ball Canning Jar guide)
Dora says
Thanks for time info!!
Cherie McGuire says
I make homemade salsa all the time. If it’s too watery I thicken it with some cornstarch and some of the juice. It will thicken nicely and not lose any of the flavor. I sell mine too so it always has to be right. I do this with my sweet pepper relish too. Just make sure to cook it well after adding cornstarch and don’t over do it. You can always add more but you can’t take any away hope this helps. Love love love canning
Suzanne Martin says
If your going to can this make sure you follow the safety rules of canning.
Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Combine tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and lime juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Maritha says
Thank you for this important reminder!
Megan says
Do you know how long it will keep in the fridge?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Probably about a week.
Carolyn Harris says
Love it,,,doubled the cilantro and used 2 jalapeños,,perfect, so glad I saved my green tomatoes!!!
Wasabi Scott says
I used Mazuma Wasabi Roots (not rhizome) as a similar booster
Chris says
What kind of time in the water bath would it take for a safe canning?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
No idea, sorry. i don’t do canning
MAC says
Like you, I want to can so, I’m going to put the full jars into water and then start to heat water to boil and then boil 10 minutes… Also going to use a vinegar wash for all the contents prior to making the salsa just to make sure things are clean before going into the jars. Ordinarily, canning isn’t meant to cook the contents of the jars, just create a vacuum to seal the cap (think tomatoes or peaches). You could also just freeze instead of hot water bath…
Brett M says
This isn’t correct. Canning is meant to create a vacuum seal while the internal temperature of the contents has been above a specific temp for a specific time (properly processed, which would also “cook” raw ingredients).
Sarah says
According to Ball Jar Canning Guide on their green tomato salsa verde recipe (pg 210), “Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars. Cool and store.”
Teressa Stone says
All the green tomato salsa recipes I have seen ( I have the Ball canning recipe books, among others( call for substantially more acidity via either citrus juice or vinegar, than this recipe contains.) I have not tried this one yet, but can’t imagine that being enough lime juice for that quantity of tomatoes, even if one were not to can it.
Mary says
I am going to make this today. Can it be put in freezer. I dont can but i will learn how next year.
I have so many green tomatos.
Pleae email me.
Tank you.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Mary, yes I think this would freeze pretty well!
Lyn McNairn says
All I ask is that people do not rate the recipe if they have not tried it and just adding a comment or question. It really impacts the rating that most of us depend on.
Jenn says
This was fantastic, tasted both fresh but also smoky from the broiling. Super easy to make, will definitely make it again (although maybe not until next year depending if I have more green tomatoes haha).