Pipián Verde
A traditional Mexican green mole sauce, made with pumpkin seeds. Use this sauce as a topper for grilled meats, in a crockpot, or for enchiladas. This sauce has so much flavor, the rest of your meal can be very simply seasoned!
Servings: 6 cups
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound tomatillos removed from husks
- 1 onion quartered
- 2 serrano chilis*
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds toasted
- 2-3 tablespoons sesame seeds optional
- 1/2 cup cilantro packed
- 1 lime large, juiced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, then set aside. Optionally, toast extra pumpkin seeds to use as a garnish later on.
- Add tomatillos, garlic, onions, and serrano peppers in the frying pan, along with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Soften the vegetables over medium to medium high heat. This will take about 15 minutes. Flip the vegetables about half way through. NOTE: Serrano peppers can be very spicy. I typically remove the seeds and veins to reduce the heat. You can sub bell peppers if you are very sensitive to heat.
- Once the vegetables are softened, add them to a blender along with the spices, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and blend until smooth.
- Add the 2nd cup of broth, and pulse to combine.
- Add lime juice, and then adjust salt and seasonings to taste. The sauce should be spicier/saltier than a salsa, since it's meant to season meats or other dishes.
Notes
*Serrano chilis are often very spicy. I removed the seeds/veins, and ended up with a perfectly spicy sauce. If you are sensitive to heat, you can omit the serranos and use 1/2 a green bell pepper.