I’ve been disappointed by so many purple vegetables. Purple asparagus and purple green beans turn green the moment they come in contact with heat. Purple flecked dragon beans turn white when cooked. Purple potatoes turn an unappetizing shade of grey if you do anything other than roast them.
So I wasn’t terribly optimistic when I saw purple tomatillos at a California farmer’s market – but I still gave into temptation and bought about a pound and a half to experiment.
Imagine my shock when they retained this amazing purple color!
They taste the same as the regular green tomatillos, so if you like tomatillo salsa you are in luck! As you can see in the background, that purple color really pops on tacos.
If you see some at a farmer’s market treat yourself to a pound. You’ll impress everyone on your next taco night!
PrintPurple Tomatillo Salsa Ingredients
- 1 lb purple tomatillos
- 8-10 purple basil leaves
- 1 medium purple onion, peeled
- 6-8 cloves garlic
- Juice & zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 small red jalapeño, seeded (optional)
Directions
- This recipe couldn’t be easier. Put everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Pour your tomatillo slurry into a small saucepan & cook over a medium heat for 15-20 min, or until the salsa is thick & jammy.
Note: the interior color of the purple tomatillos varies. If you want the brightest purple salsa, buy twice as many as you need. Cut them in half, pick the darkest, and use them. You can make a second paler batch from the discards or use them in another recipe.
