Name: Cantina Salsa with Fire Roasted Red Pepper
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 6 Roma Tomatoes; 1 Large Sweet Onion (We used 2 small ones); 1 Red Bell Pepper, cored; 1 Serrano Pepper (Optional based on spice preference); 1 Jalapeno Pepper (Leave seeds in for more spice); 2 cloves Garlic; 1 Lime; 1 cup Cilantro (give or take based on preference); Salt, to taste

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If you’ve ever been to just about any Mexican restaurant in the U.S. (and who hasn’t?!) you were probably promptly greeted with a basket of chips and a serving of the house salsa – hopefully both were homemade or you need to find another place to go, but that’s another blog for another day! Typically the house will deliver a mild to medium salsa roja. A little tip to our spice lovers out there – if you kindly ask your server for a spicier version they almost always have one in the back. You can thank us later for that.

Today, we show you how to whip up something close to what you will find in your corner restaurant except we added a little twist – red bell pepper. If you want traditional cantina salsa, by all means omit the red pepper and follow all of the other steps. However, we recommend trying this cantina salsa with fire roasted red pepper.

The ingredient list is simple and so is the preparation. We’ve been consuming every type of salsa imaginable since childhood as the pairings go far beyond just tortilla chips. Adjust the heat up or down by adding or subtracting peppers and keeping or removing seeds so feel free as all palates are welcome. Without further adieu…

Preparation: Cantina Salsa with Fire Roasted Red Pepper

As always, gather up the ingredients out front for ease of preparation. Take the tops off tomatoes and chile peppers. Seed and stem the bell pepper. Fire up the grill to a medium heat. Side note: This can be done in the broiler or even on the stove (even directly with tongs and a gas burner) but we love the depth of flavor the grill adds to this classic condiment.

Once the grill comes to temperature, place all of the ingredients except the cilantro on the grill and blister (i.e. create char marks) the outsides, turning occasionally. This process takes probably 10 – 15 minutes. If your grill has two levels you can move the faster cooking items up a level or take them off one at a time if you find certain items are finishing quicker than others. Unlike a lot of dishes this is not an exact science as it will all be combined at the end and doesn’t necessarily have to time up perfectly.

Cantina Salsa with Fire Roasted Red Pepper Grilled Vegetables

Remove the items from the grill once they are finished. Pack them into a blender or large food processor with the cilantro that you set aside in the beginning. Squeeze in the lime, combine to desired consistency, and add salt to taste. Don’t be shy with the salt as it really helps bring out even more robust flavors. As for the cilantro, we just grab a fistful (stems included) and toss into the blender but if you’re into measuring we guessed it to be about a cup.

This cantina salsa with fire roasted red pepper can be served right away or refrigerated for later use. It will always taste better the next day as the flavors have more time to come together but it’s always wise to grab a tortilla chip and give it a taste. Adjust as needed.

If you like that, try this…

Equipment: Cantina Salsa with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

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