Roasted Tomato Salsa from Taco John’s

Whether it’s an evening gathering or Sunday football, spice it up with fresh roasted tomato salsa!

Makes 3 Cups Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs ripe red tomatoes (round or Roma)                                               
  • ½ lb tomatillos, peeled
  • ½ lb sweet onion, peeled and cut into ½ thick slices                                
  • 2 jalapeños               
  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped                                                                    
  • Juice of 1 ½ limes
  • 1 ½ tsp salt                                                                                            

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Place the red tomatoes and tomatillos on one of the parchment lined cookie sheet.
  4. Place the pan in a very hot oven and roast until the skin on the tomatoes and tomatillos are black – don’t be afraid that they are getting too dark you want the skin burnt.
  5. Place the onion slices and jalapeños on the second parchment lined cookie sheet.
  6. Place the pan in the very hot oven and roast until the skin on the jalapenos are black but not burnt (turn the whole jalapeño once to allow for blackening all over). Roast the onions until they get a deep caramel color but are not getting black or burnt.
  7. Once all of the ingredients are roasted (about 15 – 30 minutes depending upon your oven and the vegetable you are cooking) remove the pans. Using tongs or a large spoon, remove the tomatoes, tomatillos and onions to a large bowl. Put the jalapenos in a brown paper bag or sealed Tupperware like container. Allow both to cool 15 minutes.
  8. Remove the peppers from the bags and under cold running water remove as much of the skin as possible (you may want to use gloves if your hands are sensitive to the oils in hot peppers). Open up the peppers and rinse out the seeds. Place in food processor or blender.  NOTE: Use a blender for a smoother salsa and a food processor for a chunkier salsa.
  9. Pour the tomatoes, tomatillos and onions and all of the juice from the bowl into your food processor or blender. Blend until all ingredients are chopped and mixed well (it is best to use a low setting for this process to avoid incorporating too much air in the final salsa).
  10. Pour blended ingredients into the bowl you held the roasted vegetables in. Add the salt, cilantro and squeeze in the lime juice. Stir together all ingredients.
  11. It’s ready to eat or save in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chef’s Note: this is a HOT oven – be careful and use dry oven mitts or similar to remove pans also if any of the vegetables gets too dark don’t throw them away, knock off any access black to avoid bitterness and blend it up – this salsa should be easy and pretty bulletproof. 

Tip: This is great with to eat with baked tortilla chips or over a grilled piece of fish or soft taco.

Nutrition Information per Serving (2 Tbs)*:
10 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 0 g protein, 0 cups fruits/veggies

*Nutrition information may vary from the item served in the restaurant.