Let’s get something out of the way real quick. When we say "salsa verde," we're not necessarily talking about the stuff you buy in a jar with a large bag of tortilla chips that are definitely for multiple people and not just you. We use that term to refer to a whole category of green sauces that are usually raw and cold (or room temperature)—think tomatillo salsas, sauce verte, chimichurri, avocado salsa, and even pesto. It doesn't matter what specific name they have or what's in them: We love them all and, when we've got some in the fridge, you know we're putting it on just about everything.
One salsa verde that we’re really loving right now is a little scallion and tomatillo number from our One-Skillet Corn Chilaquiles recipe. We like this stuff so much that we doubled the salsa recipe last time we made these dinner nachos just to keep around the kitchen. We loved how versatile it was, and it got us thinking. What’s the best way to use salsa verde? Here are our top five uses for this magical sauce:
A Fresh Meat-Topper
Grilled meat and salsa verde have their initials carved in a tree somewhere, close to wherever they went to high school. Rich, charred meat like flank steak or chicken thighs (hell, even octopus), loves a bit of salsa verde as a bright, punchy finisher. Just take that meat off the grill, slice it, and drizzle that stuff all over it. It looks great on the 'Gram too. Just saying.
Put It on Your Tortilla Dish of Choice
If a tortilla is involved, salsa verde can be too. Tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, any and all tortilla-based meals. Drizzling salsa verde over the chorizo, chicken, refried beans, or whatever else tops that tortilla is an instant hit of flavor that transcends tired old pico de gallo (we still love you though, pico).
Get That Rice Real Nice
Instead of just adding chopped parsley to rice, hit it with some salsa verde. The acid and herbal flavor will change that bland carbohydrate completely (for the better), and if you add some beans, you’ve got yourself a budget meal that tastes like a million bucks.
As Always, Eggs
Eggs are the most beautiful (yellow) canvas the food world has to offer. Next time you’re going to hit that soft scramble with some hot sauce, make a move for the salsa verde instead. What it lacks in heat it makes up for in big-time flavor.
Just a Basic Dressing
At their most essential form, dressings require some fat, some acid, and some kind of seasoning. Yeah, salsa verde has all of that stuff, which means that it works perfectly to dress any salad from a simple cucumber situation to a tomato and grain bowl to a minimalist plate of radicchio and toasted nuts. But don’t stop there, toss a batch of roasted vegetables (or potatoes) in salsa verde. The options are limitless. Well, almost. We’d steer clear of anything involving ice cream.