Ingredients:
4 med-large ripe organic tomatoes.
2 organic Jalapeno peppers (less for milder salsa and/or slice in half and de-seed for mild salsa)
1/2 organic yellow onion
Handful of organic cilantro
1 organic vegetarian bullion cube
1 clove of finely chopped garlic
Salt / pepper
Olive oil
Directions
- Rub the tomatoes with olive oil.
- Cut the 1/2 onion into thirds (three chunks) and rub with olive oil
- Rub the Jalapenos with olive oil
- Put them on a baking sheet or a pan on the stove over medium heat
- Basically burn the crap out of them. Turn them frequently. They will sizzle and turn dark brown. Do not be alarmed, and do not take them off! You have to keep browning them darker and darker....
- When all sides of the tomatoes, peppers and onions are pretty darn dark... put them in the blender, add the handful of cilantro, and blend to your viscosity preference.
- Meantime, put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small pot and sautee the garlic.
- Add the mixture from the blender along with one bullion cube.
- Cook on med to med-low heat (do not boil), stirring and making sure the bullion cube dissolves.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Laura G. says:
Uyyy, it sounds delicious! I will have to try it this weekend - I usually make chile rojo, barely any salsas....but I think it might be a great addition to my homemade lunches!
Tina C. says:
This sounds excellent! The ingredients are as expected, but the roasting and bouillon are new to me. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try it! :)
Beth S. says:
What's an "organic" bouillon cube and where do I find one?
I stopped using bouillon cubes once I read the ingredients, which usually include lots of salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, dextrose, partially hydrogenated oil, caramel color, msg...
Jordana G. says:
Well-- I'm not 100% sure on the organic bullion cube, but I got to that part of the recipe, and i so wanted it to be, Beth. I know I've seen bullion cubes at Rainbow in SF. I can't remember if they were organic. I will check next time I'm there and report back... However, if you're opposed to bullion, you could use maybe 1/4 c or 1/2 c of flavorful chicken or beef stock. If I were to do that, I'd probably add extra salt and maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
Diana Budds says:
"Better than Bouillon" makes a 95% organic bouillon. I haven't bought the organic version, but the conventional, vegetable variety rocks my socks. One of these jars lasted me well over a year, making it a good value over canned broth. Here's a link to a page where you can peruse the ingredient list and nutrition facts: http://www.shoporganic.com/product/better-than-bouillon-organic-vegetable-base/brand_better_than_bouillon
Beth S. says:
Having read the ingredients on "Better than Bouillon" I'd say it looks like a distinct improvement over the cubes with msg, etc.
I wouldn't be able to use it, though, because it's clearly not gluten free. Bragg Liquid Aminos might be a good substitute.
Pamela P. says:
Tried it loved it will make it again! I usually do a raw salsa! Thanks for Sharing.
Eliza G. says:
If this recipe gets you excited about roasted vegetable salsa, try this Romesco sauce:
http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/recipe-for-romesco-sauce/R1WNCSPVC3ISP8R1V77OUMWUISP8
If you toast the nuts along with the peppers it's not a lot more work, and the result is amazing.
Gemma P. says:
You might want to reconsider using "Better than Bouillon." The second ingredient is "autolyzed yeast paste," which IS monosodium glutamate (MSG). Wikipedia says:
"Autolyzed yeast extract is also the primary source of monosodium glutamate for the food industry."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast_extract#Autolyzed_yeast
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Maybe there's something else that can add that burst of flavor. Hemilayan sea salt? Or even better, handmade garlic salt and celery salt from All Star Organics in Marin:
http://www.allstarorganics.com/plans.htm
Yum!
Gemma P. says:
Thanks, Cara. You look like a very savvy label reader. I am still not sure I would feel good about eating "natural flavors" though. I've heard this is a big loop hole that allows some manufacturers (maybe not Better than Bouillon) to include ingredients that are basically chemical products that at some point had some "natural" inputs to them. I found an interesting article at:
http://www.thefitshack.com/2007/04/24/what-is-the-ingredient-natural-flavor/
Here is a short excerpt from it:
"So-called natural flavor is produced in laboratories to give flavor to processed foods that lose almost all flavor through the processes of freezing, dehydrating, and canning. It is made from infinitesimal amounts of chemicals, or more so a collection of gases."
Maybe Better Than Bouillon's natural flavors are somehow different?
Lulu L. says:
While I'm far from an expert on bouillon (usually use chicken broth), there are a couple things to keep in mind:
a) MSG can be naturally occurring
b) Natural flavors often contain gluten in them
...
Just my 0.20~
Sherry T. says:
I am assuming that you put the jalapenos in the blender whole, seeds and all?
Thanks--it sounds delicious! I usually make a fresh, chunky salsa, but I'm going to try this for something different!
Jordana G. says:
Sherry -- good question. This depends on your how hot you want the salsa. If you can't handle it so hot, then slice the jalapeno[s] in half before roasting it, and remove the seeds. I like spicy food a lot; still, I usually remove the seeds from one of the jalapenos.
Another tip I learned? If the salsa comes out too acidic, add 1/4 tsp of baking soda to it.