Roasted Tomato Salsa

When life gives you tomatoes, we say, make this Roasted Tomato Salsa! This salsa is so good, we guarantee that you will never buy store-bought again. Keep in mind that this is not an authentic Mexican salsa recipe, it’s our take on it. If you do make a traditional Mexican salsa, we'd love to hear about your recipe in the comments. We find this version totally irresistible and a great way to use up a late summer crop of tomatoes and peppers. It’s so good that we can eat it with a spoon. You can take it a step further and make your own tortilla chips to dip with, but if you are in a pinch you can use store-bought tortilla chips like we did.

What stands out

We know you will love this Roasted Tomato Salsa because the flavors can’t be beat. Slow roasting the tomatoes, peppers and garlic results in a deeper, richer flavor that has a hint of a smokiness and caramelization that balances the sweetness perfectly. We love a little spice from the jalapeno, but you can totally replace them with bell peppers if you don’t want the kick. We're telling you, you will never go back to store-bought salsa again!

How to Prepare

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife halve 6 tomatoes, 3 banana peppers and 2 jalapenos then thinly slice half a red onion.

Now, add all the vegetables to the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and then drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Give everything a massage and then arrange in the baking sheet with all the veggies in a single layer and the tomatoes cut side down.

Next, cut the top of a whole garlic bulb to expose the garlic, and place it on a little piece of parchment paper. Now, add a touch of olive oil on top, wrap it up and then place it on the baking sheet.

Bake everything together at 425F (220C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until roasted.

Remove the tray from the oven and unwrap the garlic bulb and cool everything slightly.

Next, squeeze the garlic out of the shells directly into a food processor or blender.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and then add a handful of parsley or cilantro and a pinch of salt if needed.

Pulse until your desired consistency and enjoy with tortilla chips!

Kitchen tip

If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can totally mash everything together with a fork or potato masher and this Roasted Tomato Salsa will still be absolutely.

Swaps

1. If you don’t want any heat, use a quartered green bell pepper instead of jalapeno.
2. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, use a handful of fresh parsley instead.
3. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can totally mash everything together with a masher and this Roasted Tomato Salsa will still be.
4. Feel free to take off the tomato skins if you don’t like any skin or if the skin bothers your stomach.

Serve it with

• This salsa is also blended into a smooth sauce and tossed with cooked pasta.
• This Roasted Tomato Salsa is served with poached or fried eggs for breakfast, shakshuka-inspired.
• This salsa makes a flavorful topping for tacos or burritos or poured on top of enchiladas.

Questions

How do you make your own tortilla chips?

Homemade tortilla chips are our favorite and they couldn’t be easier to make. Start by cutting two six-inch flour tortillas into triangles. Then spray them with avocado oil spray sprinkle with a touch of salt. If you don’t have any avocado oil spray you can drizzle a little bit of oil on top. Bake on a baking sheet lined with mark parchment paper for 10 minutes at 400F (200C) or until golden.

can we still make this roasted tomato salsa without a food processor?

Yes, you can do this all in a mark blender instead of a food processor. If you don’t have (or don’t want to wash!) any equipment, feel free to mash up all the ingredients together with a potato masher. May take a few extra minutes, but will still be.

which food processor do you use?

We love the mark Cuisinart Food Processor. It’s high-capacity, stainless steel and chops everything wonderfully.

Do we have to make this Roasted Tomato Salsa spicy?

Not at all! If you want to go for milder spice, remove the seeds from the jalapeno. If you want to skip the heat altogether, use bell peppers instead of jalapenos.

Can we make this salsa spicier?

Yes, you can use whatever hot pepper variety you’d like and go as hot as you’d like.

can we make this roasted tomato salsa ahead?

Yes, you can certainly make this salsa a few days ahead and keep it stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

can we freeze the roasted tomato salsa?

Yes, this is a great batch-cook recipe so feel free to freeze it tightly covered as you would tomato sauce.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 6 ripe tomatoes (2lbs), halved
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 banana peppers (sweet), halved
• 2 jalapeños, halved
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
• 1 head garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, for galic
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, or parsley

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Food Processor
• Blender
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Redmond Real Salt
• Oil Spray Bottle
• Measuring Cups + Spoons

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425F (220C). On a baking dish lined with parchment paper, add the tomatoes, onion, banana peppers, jalapeños, olive oil and salt. Give it a massage, make sure the tomatoes lay flat side down and all the veggies are in a single layer on the baking sheet without overlapping each other.
2. Cut the top of a whole garlic bulb to expose the garlic, and place it on a little piece of parchment paper. Add a touch of olive oil on top and wrap it up.
3. Bake everything together at 425F (220C) for 40-45 minutes or until roasted.
4. Remove the tray from the oven and unwrap the garlic bulb. Once it’s cooled you can squeeze it out into a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients on the sheet pan. Feel free to remove the tomato skins if you wish before adding them to the food processor or blender. Add a handful of parsley or cilantro and a pinch of salt if needed. Pulse until your desired consistency and enjoy with tortilla chips.