Recipe: Charred Tomato Salsa
Skip the jarred stuff and make a spicy, smoky salsa from scratch
Cinco de Mayo is nigh, but this salsa is good for year-round snacking: Charring all of the vegetables before blending creates a smoky salsa that pairs perfectly with a cold, tart margarita.
Feel free to play around with the recipe. If you want more heat, add another pepper. If you're a wimp (like many of us), take one out. Switch out the tomatoes with tomatillos for a smoky green salsa verde. You do you-just make sure you don't run out of chips.
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Charred Tomato Salsa
Char tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic for the ultimate smoky salsa.
Prep Time
10
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
Servings
2
cups
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound (4 medium) plum tomatoes
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ white onion, cut into 4 wedges
- ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon agave
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Directions
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Working in batches, sear the plum tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic and onion until charred all over, 5 minutes for the tomatoes and garlic, and 8 minutes for the jalapeños and onion.
- Transfer all the charred vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and let cool completely. Add the cilantro, lime juice and agave, then pulse until a chunky purée forms. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.