Last year, Chele and I made our first foray into gardening. A few items were grown in planters in her back yard, which largely did phenomenally well. In particular, we ended up with so many habanada peppers (a heatless variety of the normally fiery habanero), that we are STILL working through some of our frozen and pickled 2019 crop even as we are winding down the 2020 garden! That success led us to expand into a full garden in her yard this year, which has yielded us even more fun fruits and vegetables to play with.
The bulk of our crops last year, though, were planted in a community garden plot offered by the local forest preserve district. While we managed some success with a few things out there, the weeds were so aggressive that we simply couldn’t keep up and much of what we planted simply got smothered. Among those weeds, though, were several wild tomatillo plants (either Physalis longifolia or P. subglabrata, which may or may not be the same plant, depending on who you talk to), which proved to be a worthy consolation prize. “When life hands you tomatillos, make salsa,” I always say. I ended up enjoying them so much that I made a point to save some seeds from them so I could grow more this year.
With both the habanadas and the wild tomatillos turning out to be our most productive crops for 2019 (and yet again this year as well), it was only natural that they would end up getting thrown together in our cooking. The fact that both are ready to harvest right as the weather starts to cool meant that soups, stews, and other fall fare were foremost on our minds. Of the variety of experiments we tried, this simple soup is perhaps my favorite. The peppers and tomatillos are roasted together with onions and garlic, simmered in vegetable broth (which would be a perfect reason to try out our vegetable scrap broth), and then pureed into a light, slightly tangy soup that pairs equally well with a grilled cheese sandwich or with some tortilla chips. It can also be bulked up into a heartier meal by adding some cooked white rice, shredded chicken, or cooked shrimp.
We’ve already made several batches of this again this year, and I suspect there will be more to come. As long as you have the (admittedly unusual) ingredients, this is a very easy recipe to whip up. Honestly, the most labor intensive part is just peeling the husks off all of those little wild tomatillos. And if you don’t have access to wild tomatillos (which I am guessing the bulk of people reading this will not), you can easily substitute standard tomatillos from the grocery store. Also, you can use either fresh or frozen habanda peppers in this soup. To use frozen, just thaw them to room temperature and drain off any liquid before roasting.
Roasted Wild Tomatillo and Habanada Pepper Soup
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild tomatillos
- 2 cups sliced habanda peppers
- ½ large white onion, cut into wedges
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbs olive or avocado oil
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Remove husks from tomatillos, and rinse to remove the sticky resin.
- Toss tomatillos, habanada peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Spread into a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Roast at 400° F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Vegetables should be beginning to brown, and tomatillos will be very soft, wrinkled, and just about to burst.
- Add roasted tomatillos and vegetables to a large pot. Stir in broth and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste.
Notes
- Wild tomatillos, also called common ground cherries, long-leaf ground cherries, or smooth ground cherries, are native to a large portion of North America, and have been introduced to many regions beyond that. They are frequently found growing in prairies and fields, and in places where the ground has been recently disturbed. They produce fruit from mid-summer until frost.
- All tomatillos, wild or domesticated, are mildly toxic when immature. Only eat ripe, mature fruit. Ripe tomatillos will mostly fill their husks.
- Standard tomatillos may be used in this recipe if you do not have access to wild tomatillos. You will need about 4 regular tomatillos.
- Habanada peppers are a heatless variety of the habanero. You may be able to locate them at farmers markets and specialty grocers, but the most reliable way to obtain them is to grow your own. Check seed swaps and heirloom seed providers (we got ours from Baker Creek).
