Typically when I make salsa, I really go for heat! I've been growing all of the peppers that I can get my hands on and making things like Enchilada Sauce w/ Ghost Peppers and Brown Rice w/ Habaneros. I am a fiend for hot ingredients. I'm allergic to cilantro and basil, mildly lactose intolerant (although I fight this with every fibre of my being!), and don't typically eat meat. So, why else am I going to season my food with other than hot peppers?? But this mild roasted tomato salsa gets back to basics. And packs enough flavor not to miss the heat.
This recipe actually came about because I'm almost completely out of peppers. It's January and, while I have a few habaneros still clinging to the vine, pepper season is over. And has been for quite a while! But, after an entire summer of homegrown peppers, I'm struggling to bring myself to buy them. Once you've had fresh produce all summer long, going back to the grocery store varieties just isn't the same!
This leaves me with only two option: stop eating spicy food or dig into the hot sauce collection.
I have a rather extensive hot sauce collection, so 9 times out of 10 this is my go-to! But today, I've decided to use up some store-bought produce and make a roasted tomato salsa.
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Variations of Roasted Tomato Salsa
If you are looking for a spicier sauce, these enchilada sauces are quite hot and also contain roasted peppers and tomatoes. They're predominantly from peppers and tomatoes that I grew over the summer and are far more puréed. You can also substitute banana or bell peppers in any of these recipes, rather than habaneros or ghost peppers.
This roasted tomato salsa combines tomatoes, green bell peppers, onion and garlic in an air fryer, pulsed in a food processor, and slowly simmered on the stove. This creates a milder salsa that is full of flavor. I'm quite known for putting hot sauce on my hot sauce! But fresh garden produce is alas out of season and I'm looking for something a little bit more of a full bodied flavor, rather than the I'll just toss in some ghost peppers that I've been doing all summer. Although feel free to add in peppers if you do have them! The same basic principle applies.
For this recipe, I already had roasted garlic in the fridge. I tend to roast a couple of heads of garlic every couple of weeks just so that I already have it when I need but. To recreate this, you follow my Roasted Garlic Recipe. It takes about an hour and requires a head of garlic, olive oil, and a garlic roaster or aluminum foil.Otherwise, use 3 cloves unroasted garlic or pop a couple of cloves in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
Place whole tomatoes in an air fryer and fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are lightly charred. Flip about halfway through to get an even char on both sides.
Cut bell pepper in half, remove the veins and seeds, and place in an air fryer with about 1/4 of a red onion.Fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, or until the skin is lightly charred. Flip about halfway through to get an even char on both sides.
Food Process
Cut the tomatoes in half and place all of the ingredients into a food processor (garlic, tomatoes, green peppers, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cumin).
Quickly pulse about 10-15 times, or until the ingredients are loosely chopped.If you want a chunkier salsa, pulse less. If you want a thinner salsa, more like an enchilada sauce, purée until smooth.
Cook Salsa
Add salsa to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until thickened to the desired consistency.
Cool and either serve immediately or chilled.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If you don't have an air fryer or prefer to do this in the oven, preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and roast tomatoes and bell pepper on a baking sheet or dish for 25-45 minutes. The bell pepper should roast more around the 25 minute mark, but the tomatoes will take considerably longer. You can cut them in half for a quicker roast, but then you'll lose a lot of the juice inside and won't have the same consistency.
That's why I've almost exclusively switched to the air fryer. It's just so much faster!
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