Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa

A few years ago, I heard somewhere that salsa had surpassed ketchup, mustard and even mayonnaise as the most popular condiment. Without ever fact checking this claim, I immediately accepted it and moved forward with a whole new respect for salsa. But when I sat down to write this, I felt an obligation to check the latest stats on where salsa ranks in terms of condiments. Turns out, it’s not number one, or even number two. Mayo is #1 in the US, and guacamole takes first place worldwide. Which brings me back to my original contention – is salsa even really a condiment to begin with? I mean, sure we can put it on tacos, burgers and eggs, but isn’t salsa at its very best when simply placed in a bowl with a side of chips for dipping? That’s how I have always loved to enjoy salsa, and this Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa is my favorite version to date.

How Easy is it to Make Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa?

I’m not sure why I waited this long in life to roast the tomatoes before making salsa. Laziness, probably? Or maybe I just really love fresh tomatoes in salsa. I usually just toss fresh tomatoes with some corn, jalapeños, red onion and cilantro and boom – salsa. But making this Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa isn’t any harder than that. The tomatoes and peppers go right onto a sheet pan and into the oven for twenty or so minutes. Then, their skins just easily peel off. Once you get rid of the skins, seeds and cores, toss the pulp into a blender with a little onion, jalapeño, cumin and other spices and boom – salsa!

What You Need to Make Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa

As I said, you’ll start with tomatoes and one poblano pepper on the sheet pan. A poblano pepper is only mildly hot and will not overpower the tomatoes. If you can’t find a poblano pepper, use an Anaheim pepper instead. A little bit hotter, but not much. The onion you use it up to you – if I have red onions in the house, I use them. If not, a plain old white or yellow onion is just fine. Then you’ll need jalapeño, cumin, garlic powder, some salt and a teensy bit of sugar. That’s it!

Now, there’s definitely a heat factor to this salsa. Some find it spicy. But you know, I’m not a fan of “spicy”. I am, however, a big fan of “kick”. Kick is just enough heat to enhance a food’s flavor, but not too much that you’re not able to enjoy what you’re eating. If I can achieve “kicky” in a dish rather than spicy, I consider it a win. But if you try this salsa and find that it’s got too much heat, just leave out the jalapeños. The poblano pepper that you’re roasting with the tomatoes will be plenty.

What to Dip in Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa

This salsa reminds me of the kind you get in a Mexican restaurant. It’s not the kind you scoop up with a chip. Instead, you just kind of dunk your chip into it, and it clings to the chip just enough. It’s so good! And there’s nothing better for dipping than when you make your own homemade tortilla chips. Sprinkle them with a little lime sea salt and they’re the perfect dipping companion. The extra effort is so worth it! You can find directions on how to make your own tortilla chips here.

This time of year, if you’re growing tomatoes in your garden, you’re probably like me and just looking for ways to get rid of them in bulk. I’ve been stockpiling this Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa in the fridge for game days, and I can already see that it won’t last long into football season. If you’ve got a lot of tomatoes on your hands, you may be wondering if it would be too much to double this recipe. And the answer would be no, my friends. You can never have too much of this Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa. I literally had to make two batches just this weekend to keep up with my demanding family. But you know I secretly love it. Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Tomato Salsa

Make this easy restaurant-style salsa at home with poblano and jalapeño peppers

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 1

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs. tomatoes
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeño pepper diced
• 1/4 cup onion diced
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes and poblano pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, until skins start to split. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough so you can handle them.
• Peel the skins off of the tomatoes and peppers and discard them along with the seeds and cores. Place pulp in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Keyword gluten free, low fat, vegetarian

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