Use this simple technique to make Roasted Tomato Salsa. I guarantee you’ll love it so much that you’ll make it again and again (and maybe even twice this week). Instead of a measured recipe, you’ll learn to use your intuition and tastebuds as a guide to making your favorite summer snack!
I’m having a hard time accepting that summer is coming to a close. I love fall, but here in Northern California, fall doesn’t really show itself until the end of October or early November. Meanwhile, the garden is tired and the plants are ready to quit. So, whether you find your self with a kitchen full of tomatoes or you just want to enjoy the little you have left, give this roasted salsa a try.
Let’s Talk About the Ingredients
- Tomatoes: use what you’ve got, there is no “right” tomato. I love using Early Girls, because they have the perfect flesh to juice ratio for salsa, but you can use any variety. You can make this with cherry tomatoes, however, the consistency is waterier, so you may end up with a runnier salsa – I would limit it to half of your total tomatoes. They are also sweeter than larger varieties, so you may need to add more lime juice or peppers to balance. I cut enough tomatoes to cover the bottom of a 10″ cast iron skillet – about 10 medium sized tomatoes.
- Onion: I prefer white onion in my salsa, but you can use yellow (sweeter), red (spicier), or even green onions (although you might want to exclude them from roasting and add them with the cilantro at the end). I use half of a medium sized onion.
- Hot Peppers: go crazy, try whatever you’d like! Jalapenos are a staple, but habaneros will kick up the heat. If you’re sensitive to spice, start small. You can always add more if it’s not spicy enough. Also, not all peppers are created equally. I’ve made salsa with four giant jalapenos before that tasted like bell peppers, and I’ve made it with two tiny ones that lit my mouth on fire.
- Garlic: love it? Go with six cloves. Does garlic not agree with you? Just add one for the flavor.
- Salt: use what’ve you’ve got – I use fine ground sea salt.
- Cilantro Leaves: de-stem your cilantro. We love cilantro, so I usually start with half of a bunch. Since bunch sizes vary, start with a smaller amount and add more as you pulse.
- Lime Juice: while a fresh squeezed lime would be ideal, I rarely ever have one on hand, so I just use a splash of bottled lime juice (blasphemous, I know).
Roasted Tomato Salsa Variations
- Not a fan of tomatoes? (I’m secretly questioning our friendship right now…) Try something fruity, like pineapple or strawberries.
- Not a fan of spice? Omit the hot peppers completely or try substituting a sweet bell pepper instead.
- Does cilantro taste like soap to you? I’m really really sorry for your loss. But give this a try without it, and let me know how it goes!
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Equipment
- food processor
- cast iron or oven safe pan
Ingredients
- tomatoes chunked
- white or yellow onion chunked
- hot peppers (jalapenos, serranos, habaneros) halved
- garlic smashed
- salt
- cilantro leaves
- lime juice
Instructions
- Turn on broiler and place top oven rack on the second rung.
- Place tomato chunks in a cast iron pan in a single layer.
- Add onion, peppers, and garlic to the pan and stir together. Liberally sprinkle with salt.
- Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes until desired level of charred, stirring occasionally.
- Carefully remove the pan from oven and cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate for 12-24 hours (or as long as you can wait, the flavors richen as they sit together).
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor holding the juice until the end. Add the cilantro leaves and lime juice and pulse until the desired consistency is reached. If it's too thick, add the reserved juice from the tomatoes.
- The salsa will continue to improve in flavor (and heat) from refrigeration, so feel free to put it back in the fridge for an hour. But if you've already waited long enough, grab a bag of chips and dig in!
Becca @ Life’s A Pearl
😂 I love everything about this recipe and trusting your taste intuition! So many possibilities here. Can’t wait to try it next summer hopefully with some homegrown tomatoes!
ASHLEY
Great plan! Can’t wait to hear how you like it! 💗🤞🏻