Do You Need A Salad Refresh?

Greens with Tomatillo-Avocado Dressing and Pepitas

My daughter told me my salads were boring. She was right. I was on salad autopilot, greens with red wine vinaigrette were on repeat in my kitchen. (In my defense, my husband’s home-fermented vinegar makes a darned good dressing.)   

Ironically, I love the fresh crunch salad brings to the plate, so it wasn’t hard to up my salad game.

This recipe came about last summer when my neighbor shared her bumper crop of tomatillos, grown in sunny Eastern Washington. It features tomatillos and avocados. They’re used two ways; half is blended with cilantro into a creamy dressing. The rest is marinated briefly and tossed with tender greens. A fistful of pepitas and another of crumbly cotija top it off. 

Tomatillos and avocados both hail from Mexico and regions south, making them solid salad partners. It’s a perfect complement to Mexican or Latin American flavors – maybe a big tray of red enchiladas, a rich mole, or Tajin grilled chicken.

Avocados have found their way to the Western table unlike tomatillos which have stayed stalwarts of Mexican and central American cuisine. The Aztecs are credited with domesticating them in 860 BC and the word tomatillo is derived from tomatl, a Nahuatl (the Aztec language) word meaning “water fruit.”  (1,2)

Tomatillo means “little tomato” in Spanish but they’re not tomatoes. Both are in the nightshade or Solanaccae family. Then they part ways, belonging to different geneses. Tomatillos are in Physalis (ground cherry) genus as are cape gooseberries and ornamental Chinese lanterns. All have a papery husk which is discarded before using tomatillos.

How do tomatillos stack up nutritionally? One cup, chopped, offers up 17% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C, 15% of the DV for niacin (B3), 11% of the DV for vitamin K, 9% of the DV for dietary fiber, 42 calories and smaller amounts of other nutrients (3).

Avocado balances the zip of tomatillos with rich creaminess. I like Fuerte avocados but for this recipe, I recommend Haas avocados because of their higher fat content, 15% fat compared to the Fuerte with 10% fat (4). Most of that fat is the heart-friendly monounsaturated type. A 50 gram (1/3 avocado) serving of avocado has 80 calories, 11% DV dietary fiber and 1 gram of protein, and it is a good source of vitamin K, folate, copper and pantothenic acid and offers smaller amounts of other essential nutrients (5).

Experiencing salad fatigue? Give your Caesar, Ranch or Vinaigrette a break.

Greens with Tomatillo-Avocado Dressing and Pepitas

Serves 4

¾ lb. tomatillos, husks removed, divided use

2 sliced red or purple radishes

2 cups cubed, peeled ripe avocados, divided use

2 green onions, white parts cut crosswise into pieces and green parts thinly sliced

2 teaspoons lime juice

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

½ to 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

7 ounces greens such as butter lettuce

1/4 cup pepitas (roasted, lightly salted pumpkin seeds), more to taste

¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese, optional

1. Cut half of the tomatillos (6 ounces) and the radishes into very thin slices (If large, halve before slicing.) Place tomatillos and radishes in a salad bowl with 1 cup cubed avocado and sliced green part of green onion. Sprinkle with lime juice, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss gently. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to draw juices out of tomatillos. Meanwhile, make dressing (step 2).

2. To make dressing, cut remaining tomatillos into quarters. In blender container combine quartered tomatillos, remaining 1 cup avocado cubes, white part of green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down side of container once or twice as needed. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer dressing to a small container.

3. To serve, add ½ of the dressing (about ½ cup) to salad bowl. Toss to blend. (Cover and chill remaining dressing and use within 3 days. Use as a salad dressing, dip or sandwich spread.)  Add greens to bowl and toss again. Sprinkle with pepitas and cotija.

REFERENCES

1. What Are Tomatillos? How to Use This Mexican Ingredient
2. What Are Tomatillos? | Food Network
3. The Food Processor® 11.11.32
4. The Rich, Creamy Pleasures of Avocado, cook’s Illustrated January & February, 2025. P. 16-17.
5. Avocado Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

© Lorelle Del Matto 2025