I rarely buy jarred salsa, because it is so simple to make and tastes much better when made with fresh produce.
Roasting the ingredients brings out a sweet, smoky flavor, but you can skip the roasting for a more traditional salsa.
I like using adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers, but when they aren’t in stock at the grocery store, I substitute two tablespoons of chipotle hot sauce in place of the adobo sauce and lime juice.
The hot sauce is less spicy and more acidic than adobo sauce.
Smoky Roasted Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
2 containers (10-ounces each) grape tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon packed fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked or toasted ground cumin
1/2 cup water
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Scatter the tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion over the pan. Take a small sheet of foil and place the garlic on top. Drizzle a little oil over the garlic, then wrap tightly. Place the garlic packet on the pan. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the pan and toss to coat. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour or until lightly charred, rotating the pan halfway through. Let the pan cool completely. Squeeze the garlic out of the peels and place in a food processor along with the tomato mixture and remaining ingredients. Pulse until almost smooth.
Yield: 12 servings.
