Raw Tomatillo Salsa

This healthy homemade Raw Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe is an easy way to enjoy fresh, raw tomatillos in spicy green salsa. It's made with only 7 clean, real food ingredients, is ready to enjoy in less than 5 minutes and is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, paleo-friendly and Medical Medium compliant.

Summer is the perfect time to make my fresh and light salsa verde made with green tomatillos for a nice change of pace from traditional red salsa.

Raw Tomatillo Salsa Verde

What is a "tomatillo"?

"Tomatillo" means "little tomato" in Spanish and they are like small green tomatoes with a tangy, citrus taste.

They come with a protective husk and have a sticky film on them from the husk that needs to be washed off before eating them.

There are many recipes out there that require you to roast the tomatillos before making the salsa, but I always feel guilty about cooking my vegetables.

I feel like I'm cooking the "life" out of them so I try not to cook them unless I absolutely have to.

My tomatillo recipe is made with raw tomatillos and added a habanero pepper instead of usual jalapeno pepper and it was just perfect and ready in less than 5 minutes.

If you prefer a salsa recipe with a red tomato base, try my Spicy Mango and Lime Chunky Salsa, Spicy Watermelon Salsa or Spicy Balsamic Vinegar Salsa for variety.

This easy salsa verde recipe is made with clean, real food ingredients and is raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, paleo-friendly and Medical Medium compliant.

How To Make The BEST Raw Tomatillo Salsa | Step-By-Step Instructions

You'll love how easy it is to make this tomatillo recipe with just 7 clean, real food ingredients in less than 5 minutes and I'll show you step-by-step instructions of how to make it below!

Step 1: Prepare The Tomatillos + Pepper

Tomatillos: There are a few extra steps you need to take to prepare the tomatillos:

1. Peel off the outer layer (husk). 
2. The tomatillos will have a sticky film on them after removing the husk, and so you will need to wash them before using.
3. Cut them into quartered pieces so it will be easier to process them.

Pepper: Cut the top off the pepper before adding it to the food processor.

1. Habanero - cut off the top (see Expert Tips below about handling habanero peppers).
2. Jalapeno - cut off the top and then cut it into quartered pieces so it will be easier to process.

Step 2: Add All Ingredients To A Food Processor

Add the prepared tomatillos and the remaining ingredients to a food processor and process until it becomes the texture of salsa.

If you like your salsa "chunky-style", process it a little less and if you like it "non-chunky" style, process it a little more.

Take a taste and adjust the seasonings if you prefer.

Step 3: Store The Tomatillo Salsa

You can store your tomatillo salsa in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.

I like to use a glass mason jar to store mine, but any non-toxic storage container would be fine.

Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions for Raw Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos. Tomatillos have an outer layer (husk) that needs to be peeled off before using. The tomatillos will have a sticky film on them that needs to be washed off before using them.

Lemon Juice. Using freshly squeezed lemon juice is best because it will give the most intense flavor and retain all its nutrients, but you can also use store-bought organic lemon juice if you prefer.

Habanero Pepper. You actually have three options regarding the pepper:

1. Extra Spicy - Use a habanero pepper. Habanero peppers are VERY hot and you need to be VERY careful when handling them. It's best to use kitchen gloves when handling them - that's how hot they are. 
2. Medium Spicy - Use a jalapeno pepper. Just cut the top off and cut it into about 4 pieces to make it easier to process.
3. Zero Spicy - Omit the habanero or jalapeno in the recipe if you don't like spicy foods or will be serving this recipe to children.

Onions. I used regular white onions in this recipe but you can substitute with any variety or whatever you have on hand.

Himalayan Pink Salt. This is my salt of preference but you can always use sea salt as a substitute. Adjust the amount in the recipe to your preference.

Want More Healthy Plant-Based Vegan Dip Recipes?

Check out these:

• Spicy Balsamic Vinegar Salsa 
• Spicy Watermelon Salsa 
• Cilantro and Lime Salsa 
• or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with 100+ plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!

The BEST Raw Tomatillo Salsa Verde

This healthy homemade Raw Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe is an easy way to enjoy salsa verde made with fresh, raw tomatillos for a spicy green salsa. It’s made with only 7 clean, real food ingredients, is ready to enjoy in less than 5 minutes!

{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Nut-Free | Paleo-Friendly | Medical Medium }

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yields: 1 serving

Calories : 70

Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 organic tomatillos (peeled, washed and quartered)
• ▢ 2 cloves organic garlic (freshly crushed)
• ▢ 1/3 cup organic fresh cilantro
• ▢ 1 tablespoon organic lemon (freshly squeezed)
• ▢ 1 organic habanero pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons organic onion
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the tomatillos:

• Prepare the tomatillos by peeling off the outer layer (hull), washing off the sticky film and cutting them into quartered pieces.

Prepare the salsa:

• Add all ingredients for the salsa, including the prepared tomatillos, into a food processor and process until it gets to the consistency you prefer (less processing for a "chunky" texture and more processing for a "thinner" texture).
• Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
• Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Food Processor: You can also make this in a Vitamix. Pulse it for a "chunky" salsa and blend on HIGH speed for a "thin" salsa.

Tomatillos: Make sure you wash the tomatillos after removing the outer layer (husk) because they will have a sticky film on them.

Habanero Peppers: Can be substituted with jalapeno peppers or omitted. Take care when handling habanero peppers because they are extremely hot.

Onions: I used a white onion for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite variety or whatever you have on hand.

Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will give this recipe the best flavor but you can use store-bought organic lemon juice instead.

Himalayan Pink Salt: Substitute with sea salt.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1svg | Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 298mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 11mg

Course:Appetizer

Cuisine:American

Recipe Author: Karielyn Tillman

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Karielyn Tillman

Hi, I'm Karielyn! I'm the published cookbook author of CLEAN DESSERTS and content creator of The Healthy Family and Home™ website since 2012. I specialize in creating easy, healthy plant-based and Medical Medium® compliant recipes that are gluten-free + vegan and made with clean, real food ingredients that you can feel good about eating.