Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

Honestly, there is nothing quite like fresh homemade salsa.  And so good for you too!  I’m afraid I’ve become a bit of a salsa snob.  I don’t even like to bottle my salsa, I just like it fresh, so I just whip up a batch every other month or so and enjoy it.  The great thing is that it lasts in your fridge up to 3-4 weeks because of the lime juice in it, so you can make a big batch and snack away!

Now, I know it’s not tomato season yet, so be sure to Pin this for later use again in the fall, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying fresh salsa all year!  I like to use Roma tomatoes when I don’t have any from the garden and they are usually really cheap too.

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly Spray a cookie sheet or line it with parchment.  Slice all your tomatoes in half and place cut side up on the pan.  Slice your jalapeno in half length wise and cut out the seeds and membranes according to how spicy you want it.  If you want mild salsa, cut out all the seeds and membranes of the pepper.  If you want medium, do one.  If you like spicy, keep the peppers how they are.  Put pan in the oven and roast until you  can start to smell the tomatoes and peppers.  About 20-25 minutes or so.  You don’t want them completely cooked and mushy, just lightly roasted.  This is what gives it a perfect texture when you blend it up vs. a completely raw tomato.  Believe me, I’ve tried it both ways, you want to roast them! They will look about like this:

*Update:  I found that for an even better texture and taste, I cut the onion in half, and then one of the halves in half again, and roast the two quarters of the onion with the other veggies.  Then I add the roasted pieces of onion to the blender with the other roasted veggies.  I dice up the other half of the onion to add fresh at the end of the process. 🙂

 When they are done, pull out the pan and let it sit for awhile to cool to room temperature.  If I want to use this for dinner, I usually get at least the veggies roasted in the afternoon so they are ready to mix up by dinner.  When they have cooled off, dump the tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, garlic salt, and chili powder in a blender or food processor.  Just pulse it a few times until everything is chopped up and smooth.  Dump it in a bowl or container you can put a lid on and store in the fridge.  

Now chop your onion up pretty small and dump it in the salsa and give it a stir.  At this point, you can give it a taste and see if you want more salt or lime juice or what ever and then you are ready to party!  The awesome thing about this stuff is that it gets better each day.  The flavors just marinate together and get yummier and yummier.  It thickens up in the fridge so just give it a stir each time you pull it out to eat some.

Home Made Restaurant Style Salsa

2015-04-06 19:15:53

Serves 8

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Ingredients

1. about 2 pounds tomatoes (I really like to use Roma when I'm not getting them from my garden)
2. 2 jalapenos
3. 1 bunch cilantro
4. 3 T lime juice
5. 2 t garlic salt
6. 1 t chili powder
7. 1 small onion

Instructions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly Spray a cookie sheet or line it with parchment.
3. Slice all your tomatoes in half and place cut side up on the pan. Slice your jalapeno in half length wise and cut out the seeds and membranes according to how spicy you want it. If you want mild salsa, cut out all the seeds and membranes of the pepper. If you want medium, do one. If you like spicy, keep the peppers how they are. Cut the onion in half, and then in half again. Put the two quarters of the onion on the pan to roast and reserve the other half for dicing up at the end.
4. Put pan in the oven and roast until you can start to smell the tomatoes and peppers. About 20-25 minutes or so. You don't want them completely cooked and mushy, just lightly roasted. This is what gives it a perfect texture when you blend it up vs. a completely raw tomato.
5. When they are done, pull out the pan and let it sit for awhile to cool to room temperature.
6. Dump the tomatoes, peppers, onion quarters, cilantro, lime juice, garlic salt, and chili powder in a blender or food processor. Just pulse it a few times until everything is chopped up and smooth. Dump it in a bowl or container you can put a lid on and store in the fridge.
7. Stir in the other half of your fresh chopped onion and incorporate.
8. Taste to see if you want more lime juice or garlic salt, and enjoy!

Notes

1. Serving size: 4 oz
2. Macros: Calories 31; Fat 0.1; Carbs 6.4; Protein 1
3. This lasts in your fridge for up to 3-4 weeks! It's a delicous addition to your eggs in the morning or any Mexican food you create!

By Jenny Nielson

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