Full disclosure: I’ve spent some time in Houston but I’ve never been to Ninfa’s, and I’m not even confident I’m pronouncing it correctly. Whatever the pronunciation—NIN-fahz, NEEN-fahz, or neen-FAHZ—this green sauce has convinced me I need to go. If the sauce is any indication, the rest of the menu must be spectacular.
I first encountered this recipe through Lisa Fain’s Homesick Texan blog. Her post made the flavors leap off the page; while reading it I immediately understood how the sauce would taste and knew I wanted it right away.
It took me a while to make it. Some ingredients are easy to find—avocados, cilantro, sour cream, jalapeños—but green or yellow tomatoes were a challenge in my area. I had green tomatoes on the vine one summer but was too busy to harvest them in time, and later I couldn’t find any within a two-hour drive.
Then I remembered a jar of green tomato salsa verde I’d made the previous summer sitting on a shelf. That became my shortcut. Instead of three medium green tomatoes, I used two cups of homemade green tomato salsa verde plus a splash of water, then followed the recipe. If you don’t have homemade salsa verde, store-bought tomatillo-based salsa verde works fine as a substitute—don’t be afraid to improvise.
For the dairy, I swapped the sour cream for a cup and a half of zero-fat Greek yogurt I’d picked up on clearance. It’s not a statement against full-fat dairy—just a practical choice that worked perfectly. The yogurt blended smoothly into the sauce and I preferred the result.
The finished sauce is silky and rich from the avocados, garlicky, creamy, and pleasantly spicy. I ate it on tacos, scooped it with chips, and yes, I even tasted it by the spoonful. It’s that addictive. My husband was a fan, too.
One bonus: the avocado doesn’t brown quickly in this mixture. My amateur hypothesis is that the acid from the green tomatoes or tomatillos combined with the cultured yogurt slows oxidation, but whatever the reason, the sauce stays bright and attractive for longer than plain smashed avocado.
If you like creamy, tangy, slightly spicy sauces, you’ll want to make this. It’s versatile as a topping, dip, or condiment and keeps well refrigerated.
Ninfa’s Green Sauce
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 3 medium green or yellow tomatoes coarsely chopped (Or substitute 2 cups green tomato salsa verde or store-bought salsa verde plus about 1/2 cup water.)
- 4 to tomatillos peeled of the papery husk, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeños stemmed and chopped (if using prepared salsa verde, remove the jalapeño seeds for milder heat)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 ripe avocados halved, pitted, and scooped from the skins
- 4 stems worth of cilantro
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream or Greek yogurt Greek yogurt works well for a slightly tangier, lighter version
Instructions
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Place the green or yellow tomatoes (or the salsa verde and water) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatillos are tender. Remove from heat and cool the mixture for about 15 minutes.
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Transfer the cooked mixture to a food processor or blender fitted with a metal blade. Add the avocados, cilantro, and salt, and blend until completely smooth. Scrape the sauce into a mixing bowl and whisk in the sour cream or Greek yogurt until evenly combined. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients and quantities you use.
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