Fire-Roasted Salsa Recipe
This rich and smoky salsa is a huge favorite at our house. The roasted heirloom tomatoes, garlic, and jalapenos have a unique smoky, fresh flavor that sets this salsa apart.
Fire-Roasted Salsa Recipe
makes enough for a party-sized bowl full
Ingredients:
- 6 medium fresh heirloom tomatoes, halved (why heirloom tomatoes?)
- 4 jalapeno peppers, 2 cored and halved, 2 finely diced with core
- 4-6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp concentrated hickory smoke flavor
- serve with warm tortilla chips
Preparation Instructions:
1. Wash all vegetables and take the skin off of the onion.
2. In your oven, place a rack as close to the top broiler elements as you can. Turn the oven to broil (the highest setting) and let it warm up for 4-5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, halve two of the jalapeno peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems from them (setting two whole peppers aside for later). Halve all of the tomatoes vertically. Lay all of the halved tomatoes and the two halved jalapeno peppers cut-side down on a baking sheet or broiler pan that can withstand high heat and will not be ruined if juices burn to it.
4. Place the pan of vegetables on the top rack and let them sear until their skins are black and smoking. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, roast the garlic cloves, in their skins, in a small saucepan or skillet on medium-low (low on a gas range). Toss the unpeeled cloves in the pan with about 1 tbsp of oil. Let the cloves roast slowly, tossing them frequently, until all sides are a rich, golden brown. The cloves should feel soft in their skins when pressed with a spoon. It may take as long as 15 minutes.
6. When the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off of the halves and peel any burnt skin off of the peppers. Remove as many seeds from the tomatoes as you can, then dice them. Drain the tomatoes of juice and remove any more seeds. Finely dice both the roasted jalapeno peppers and the non-roasted peppers. Peel and crush the roasted garlic. Dice the onion and chop the cilantro.
7. Mix all of the diced vegetables together in a bowl. Squeeze the 1/2 lime over it, add the apple cider vinegar, salt, and hickory smoke flavor. Mix well.
8. If you like a chunky salsa, you are done. For a smoother salsa with a better mix of flavor, put the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until you reach the desired consistency.
9. Serve with warm tortilla chips. Enjoy!
