Mexican Restaurant Salsa Without a Blender Recipe

jalapeños

🥗Healthier: serrano peppers

💰Cheaper: green bell peppers

Serrano peppers offer similar heat, while green bell peppers are milder and more affordable.

cilantro

🥗Healthier: parsley

💰Cheaper: spinach

Parsley provides a fresh taste, while spinach is a budget-friendly leafy green.

lime juice

🥗Healthier: lemon juice

💰Cheaper: vinegar

Lemon juice is a good substitute, and vinegar can add acidity without the cost.

garlic

🥗Healthier: garlic powder

💰Cheaper: onion powder

Garlic powder offers convenience, while onion powder can provide flavor.

Adjust oven rack to the center position and turn on the broiler.

Prep tomatoes by making two shallow perpendicular cuts on the bottom of each tomato.

Slice the stems off the jalapeños and split them down the middle.

Cut the flower end of the shallots and split them in half through the root, removing the peels.

If using an onion, cut it into quarters instead of halves.

Arrange the tomatoes, jalapeños, and shallots on a foil-lined baking sheet with cut sides facing down for shallots and jalapeños, and cut sides facing up for tomatoes.

Add a few cloves of unpeeled garlic to the baking sheet.

Drizzle everything with neutral oil and season lightly with salt.

Move the baking sheet to the oven and roast the vegetables for about 15 to 20 minutes until they begin to blacken and blister, keeping an eye on them.

Remove the veggies from the oven and let them cool until manageable.

Once cooled, remove the peels from the tomatoes and garlic cloves.

Add the peeled tomatoes to a large bowl and break them up with a potato masher until mostly broken down.

Scoop out and reserve the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños for later use.

Chop the jalapeños, adding the reserved seeds and ribs back in sparingly for desired heat.

Finely chop the shallots.

Mash the roasted garlic into a paste using the flat side of a knife.

Put a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add a bit of neutral oil until shimmering.

Add the tomato puree and chopped vegetables to the saucepan and stir to combine.

Cook for about five minutes until the flavors are cohesive, adjusting for salt and adding reserved seeds if desired.

Pour the salsa into a bowl and allow it to come to room temperature.

Once cooled, stir in lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro, tasting to adjust for heat and seasoning.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary