Roasted Tomato Salsa

Charring the vegetables under the broiler is what separates this salsa from a raw pico de gallo. Roma tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, and onion get blackened and blistered on a baking tray, which concentrates their sugars and adds a smoky depth that raw ingredients simply don’t have.

Eight cloves of garlic is generous, but the roasting tames them. Raw garlic would be sharp and overpowering at this quantity; roasted garlic turns sweet, soft, and mellow. Tucking the cloves under the other vegetables protects them from direct heat so they roast evenly instead of burning to bitter carbon.

Pureeing everything smooth with water gives this a restaurant-style consistency that coats chips and flows over tacos. It’s not chunky, and that’s the point.

Kitchen Tips

• Turn the vegetables frequently during broiling for even charring on all sides. Blackened spots are good; fully burnt is bitter.
• Leave the jalapeño seeds in for more heat, or remove them for a milder salsa. The charring mellows the peppers either way.
• Let everything cool completely before processing. Hot liquid in a food processor creates pressure that can blow the lid off.
• This makes a big batch (2½ quarts). Freeze in portions for weeks of ready-made salsa.

Variations

• Add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the food processor for a smoky, spicier salsa.
• Stir in chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime after pureeing for a brighter finish.
• Swap Roma tomatoes for tomatillos for a roasted salsa verde.