I love salsa. I love salsa and chips. I love enchiladas. I love tacos…I love guacamole. I love margaritas… need I say more?
Buying salsa is crazy – especially these days… Why spend $3.50 – $7.00 on a small jar that disappears lickity split when cooking or snacking? You can make a big ol’ bowl of salsa – for really cheap if you get yourself to a vegetable market. And, don’t forget salsa is legit a vegetable and it’s going to be free from preservatives – so it’s good for you. (Assuming you don’t eat a whole bag of chips with it…. ha). #KeepingItReal
Well, now that I’m talking about eating the whole bag of chips – I have to share. Found these kitchen towels while out and about and definitely needed one for myself and a few for friends. I’m fairly certain we all have those friends who you go to a Mexican joint and order up a margarita and get a bowl of chips and salsa and maybe guac and whammo – you blink, the chips are gone and you need another marg? Yeah – those friends are who your going to call after you make some fresh salsa !!!
As this is tomatillo salsa, you’re going to need a large ~2 lb bag of tomatillos as the base. I just love green salsa and think it’s highly underrated. While you are shopping consider what you want to add to your salsa… This is your salsa recipe- I’m just giving you a guide. The ingredients don’t have to be exact – but if you do happen to make one that is perfect – please do write it down! Just remember, peppers have different heat levels and even if you use the exact same number next time – it could be way spicier or less potent – you never do know exactly!
OK – back to picking out some veg – what else do you like in your southwestern food ? How about some poblano peppers and Jalepenos ?! Or are you fiery one and want a Serrano pepper (higher on the heat scale) – or what about a fresno pepper? (I just love using Fresno peppers they are generally similar to the jalepeno heat wise – but can be hotter – and the red is a very nice color for garnish!)
You’ll definitely need an onion and maybe some random tomatoes. (?) What do you think about adding garlic ? Lastly you’ll absolutely need some limes for the acid to pull the flavors together.
Ok – once you have your goods purchased / available let’s get crackin. Please note – sometimes the salsa doesn’t “meld” until it has been in the fridge a day. When I made the below salsa, as written (cause it was DELICIOUS and I wrote it down!) we tasted it right out of the food processor and it was hot – as in SPICY. I was concerned it was going to be too hot and I’d have to get back to the grocery and get more tomatillos to spread the heat around… but the next day…what does the hubster say?
Drumroll….”some of the best you’ve ever made”. YEAH ! for the WIN.
Now we have a huge bowl of salsa to eat with chips and guac and to spread on enchiladas or tacos or a taco casserole etc etc. The sky is the limit. Too bad I don’t know how to can this stuff !
Super simple and you get a HUGE bowl full – for like $4.
Calories per serving of this ~30. Unless you add chips…and Guac… LOL
#WhyEatOut
Oven Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Ingredients to Roast in the Oven
- 2 lbs Tomatillos
- 2-4 Poblano peppers Large vs. Small
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 Onion red / white – whatever you’ve got – Quartered
Optional other Ingredients to Consider
- 1 Fresno Chile these are just a bit spicier than jalepenos
- 2 Anaheim Chile these are mild green chile peppers
- 1 Red Pepper red / green / yellow – whatever you've got
- .75 C Grape Tomatoes (or other tomato type)
- 4 Garlic Cloves
Used to Finish the Dish
- 1-2 Limes
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
Instructions
- Set the oven to 400 degrees
Clean and Prepare the Vegetables to be Roasted
- Tomatillos – Take off the papery outer wrapper, wash good (use a vegetable scrubber to get the sticky bits off) and pull off the top stem.
- Peppers – Wash and cut lengthwise – deseed and de-stem
- Onion – Peel and quarter
- Tomatoes – if you are using – wash and add to the pan – if larger than grape – cut to be same size as the tomatillos so they cook evenly
- Garlic – if you are using – leave garlic in the papery outer layer for roasting
- Take some olive oil and a paint brush (kitchen brush) and olive oil up the veg – and salt them.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 40 minutes – till the veg are brownish and the tomatillos are starting to give up water and burst a bit.
- If it can be easily done – peel some of the skin off the peppers. Don't make yourself crazy – if it comes off easily then pull it off.
- Place all roasted ingredients into your food processor. (If you roasted garlic cloves in the skin – then squeeze the cloves out of their skin and into the food processor)
- Add in cumin and oregano.
- Blend the salsa & taste it. If it's too hot (like mine was) add a full juice of a lime. If only partially hot – add half of a limes worth of juice. Taste with a tortilla and see how it tastes. May need some more Salt or Pepper or Lime Juice. Let the salsa sit a while and leave the flavors to blend. (overnight)
- Enjoy straight up with chips, or use in recipes – consider using as an alternate for enchilada sauce or on southwestern stuffed bell peppers etc.