Avocado Salsa Verde

Mid-July. Hot. The garden in summer's tired phase. The herbs going to seed unless I cut them.

Tuesday food bank: arroz con pollo. Routine.

Wednesday Cocina week five: soups. Cold soup week — gazpacho and a chicken consomme that I had been wanting to teach. The class loved cold soup in July.

Thursday Mami had a moment of unusual clarity. She asked about Eduardo's health. She had not asked in a while. I said, "Mami, Eduardo is fine. He is sixty-four. His blood pressure is fine. His knees ache. He is fine." She said, "Carmen, watch his heart." I said, "Mami, what about his heart?" She said, "Carmen, the men in his family had heart problems. Watch his heart." I said, "Mami, his cardiologist appointment is October." She said, "Carmen, do not skip it." I said, "Mami, we will not." She said, "Carmen, do not let Eduardo skip it." I said, "Mami, he will not." She closed her eyes.

Friday I told Eduardo. He said, "Carmen, your mother is right about the men in my family." I said, "Eduardo, do not skip the cardiologist." He said, "Carmen, I will not." We had a moment.

Sunday dinner: family. Twelve. The summer heat was heavy. The kitchen was hot. Eduardo had installed a second window AC unit in the kitchen because I had been complaining. The kitchen was tolerable. We ate. Wepa.

Cold soup week at Cocina reminded me how much Latin cooking trusts fresh things — raw, bright, barely touched by heat. When Sunday came and twelve people were crowded into a kitchen that was “tolerable” at best, I did not want to stand over a stove any longer than I had to. This avocado salsa verde was the answer: a few minutes, a blender, and something cool and green to put in front of people who needed feeding. After the week we had — Mami’s words, Eduardo’s quiet “she’s right” — I wanted the table to feel easy. This did that.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb tomatillos (about 10 medium), husked and rinsed
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1–2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed (seeded for less heat)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup water, or as needed to blend

Instructions

Roast the tomatillos. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil on high for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and lightly charred in spots. Remove and let cool slightly.
Blend the base. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices to a blender. Add cilantro, lime juice, salt, and water. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add the avocado. Add the avocado flesh to the blender. Pulse until fully incorporated and creamy. Do not over-blend — a little texture is good.
Taste and adjust. Taste the salsa and adjust salt and lime juice as needed. If too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse to loosen.
Serve. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately with tortilla chips, tacos, grilled chicken, or arroz con pollo. To store, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salsa and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Avocado Salsa Verde — What I Put on the Table When the Kitchen Was Hot and the Heart Was Full