I love using this salsa verde for fish – especially white fish like halibut or cod. The light and bright flavors of the sauce complement the delicate flavor and flakey texture of this type of fish perfectly. Serve this dish with your favorite margarita for a fun and festive taqueria night done at home!

How to Make Salsa Verde for Fish

To make this recipe, you’ll want to first pre-heat your oven. You can bake your fish while you make the salsa verde sauce, which will help save some time. Season fish with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil to keep fish moist. Bake for about 10 minutes or until it is flakey and cooked through.

While fish bakes, roughly chop up the tomatillos, onion, and jalapenos. Now, there are a few options here. You can make this recipe keeping the tomatillos, onions and jalapenos raw, or you can choose to steam them for a more mellow flavor. If choosing to steam, place them in a microwavable bowl and heat for 3 minutes, or steam them stovetop for 4-5 minutes. Next, blend all salsa verde ingredients in blender or food processor and serve over fish!

What Are Tomatillos?

Tomatillos might not be something you’re used to cooking with, but don’t worry, they’re simple to prepare and easy to find at most grocery stores and markets. Tomatillos, which means “little tomato” in Spanish, are native to Mexico and Central America, and have been cultivated for over 2,000 years.¹ They grow with a thin, papery skin or husk that helps to protect the fruit. This is how you’ll see them in the grocery store, but the husk is easily removed, although may leave your fingers a bit sticky!

Besides being used for salsa verde, tomatillos can also be made into dishes like soups, jams or chutneys. In this recipe, you can also roast them, along with the jalapenos and blend them into salsa verde, for a more smoky flavor.

Health benefits of tomatillos

Tomatillos offer more than just flavor and beautiful green color for this recipe, they’re also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and niacin (a B vitamin).² These added nutrients can play an important role in boosting our health!

Vitamin C works as an antioxidant in our bodies, meaning it can help to reduce the amount of oxidative damage to our cells. This has been shown to be helpful in reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.³

Most Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diets, so this is a great way to help boost your daily dose—in a delicious sauce, no less! Like vitamin C, fiber has been shown to have some pretty impressive health benefits. Those who consume a diet high in fiber have been found to have a reduced risk of developing conditions like heart disease, diabetes and diverticular disease.⁴

Who knew a sauce could pack so much nutritional power?!

Similar pages

If you’re looking for more plant-based sauce recipes, try out my white bean romesco sauce or arugula chimichurri. Both are great on grilled meats or even pasta or zoodles!

References

1. Petruzzello M. Tomatillo. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomatillo#ref1252782. Published August 2, 2019. Accessed March 28, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomatillo#ref1252782
2. Nutrition Facts For Tomatillos. myfooddata. https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts.php?food=168566&serv=wt2&qty=1. Accessed March 28, 2020. https:// tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts.php?food=168566&serv=wt2&qty=1
3. Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin C. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/. Accessed March 28, 2020. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
4. Eliassen, Cho, X L, WY C, Willett. Fiber. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/. Published October 28, 2019. Accessed March 28, 2020. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/

Chile Verde Sauce with Halibut

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: fish, keto, seafood, whole30

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

Chile Verde

• 1 pound tomatillos diced
• 1 cup onion diced
• 3 jalapenos seeded and sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Fish:

• 4 pieces white fish cod, halibut, each ~6 ounces
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking pan/dish with parchment paper. Place fish on parchment, skin side down. Season fish with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes.
• Optional: Place tomatillos, onion, and jalapeno in a microwave safe bowl and heat (covered) for 3 minutes. Alternately, steam stovetop for 4-5 minutes.
• Place steamed vegetables with cilantro, salt, cumin, and lime juice in blender or vitamix and puree.
• Serve chile verde over fish

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