"Lazy" Everyday Salsa

Make this fresh everyday salsa and never buy it from the store again

Whenever I get free chips and salsa from a good Mexican restaurant, I always end up devouring the whole bowl and getting full before the rest of my food comes out. But when it comes to snacking at home, chips and salsa never have the same appeal. Store-bought salsa just doesn't have the same freshness and flavor that homemade salsa does. This everyday salsa recipe comes from Rick Bayless and is so easy to put together. First, a mixture of tomatoes, onions, chiles, and garlic get grilled over a hot flame and then pureed in a food processor until smooth. The heat of the grill creates a nice charred flavor and helps to bring out a bit of sweetness in the tomatoes and chiles but it still tastes really fresh. This recipe will make a big batch of salsa which will keep for several days and is perfect for snacking or spooning over tacos or enchiladas.

Pro Tip: Place store-bought chips in a 350F oven for 5 minutes to warm them up and give them a homemade feel.


Related Recipes:
- Charred Tomatillo Salsa
- Mango Guacamole
- Queso Fundido Dip


"Lazy" Everyday Salsa:
Ingredients
- 4 medium-small tomatoes (roughly 1 1/2 lbs.)
- 1 white onion, halved
- 2-3 serrano chiles*
- 3 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
- kosher salt

Recipe

• Heat a grill to high.
• Using a grill basket if needed, grill the tomatoes, onion, chiles, and garlic.
• Cook the garlic and chiles for 10 minutes and the tomatoes and onion for 20 minutes.
• Let the vegetables cool slightly, then peel the garlic, stem the chiles, remove the core from the tomatoes, and dice the onion.
• In a food processor, puree the garlic and chiles, then add in the tomatoes and any accumulated juices and puree until smooth.
• Stir in the diced onion and season with 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt. Add in a splash of water if needed to thin the consistency.
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for a few days.

Serves six-eight
*Or more or less, depending on how spicy you like your salsa and how spicy your peppers are. I used 2 serranos and the salsa was medium-hot.