Pipián Verde (Green Mole Sauce)

This bright-green mole sauce includes pepitas, tomatillos, spinach, cilantro, and chili peppers.

Makes 6 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup raw pepitas
1 lb. tomatillos, husked
3 jalapeño chilies, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 oz. baby spinach
3 large romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs. Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3/4 tbs. regular kosher salt
2 tbs. avocado oil

Directions

STEP 1

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the pepitas in a single layer. Toast the seeds, stirring occasionally, for three to five minutes or until they are fragrant and you can hear them popping. Transfer them to a plate to cool.

STEP 2

In a high-speed blender, combine the pepitas, tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup broth. Blend until smooth.

STEP 3

Add the spinach, lettuce, cilantro, and salt. If your blender’s not big enough, add the greens in batches. Blitz until liquefied.

STEP 4

Heat a large saucepan on medium heat. Once it’s hot, swirl in the oil.

STEP 5

Pour in the purée. It’ll probably splatter, so have a lid or a towel ready! Bring the sauce to a simmer.

STEP 6

Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Keep the saucepan partially covered to reduce splattering.

STEP 7

Add in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth. Increase the heat to bring the sauce back to a simmer for five more minutes.

STEP 8

The mole should have the texture of a creamy soup. If it’s too chunky for your liking, just blend it some more. Taste and add more salt if needed. In a sealed container, this mole will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator and up to four months in the freezer.

Photography by: Henry Fong

About the Author: Michelle Tam is the award-winning food blogger at NomNomPaleo.com. Her previous cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans and Ready or Not!, are bothNew York Times bestsellers.

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