Cherry Tomato Salsa

Why We Love This Recipe

• Great use of seasonal produce: If you're anything like us, you probably have a massive container of cherry tomatoes sitting on your counter all August long. We always over-buy (they always look so good!) and then run out of ways to use them. This cherry tomato salsa is the perfect use for all of that seasonal goodness and it's a great way to preserve that delicious flavor even past tomato season.
• Quick and easy: Once everything is prepped, this recipe is as simple as roasting for 20 minutes followed by a quick spin in the blender. It's a super easy recipe that looks impressive and tricks people into thinking you spent lots of time on it.
• Extremely versatile: This cherry tomato salsa is both sweet and spicy, making it the perfect addition to tacos, nachos, salads, or straight out of the bowl with tortilla chips. It's great for entertaining - bring a batch to your next summer dinner party!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this cherry tomato salsa:

Ingredient Notes

• Tomatoes: The star ingredient of this salsa: cherry tomatoes. We love using fresh cherry tomatoes in this salsa for that slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the mild spice. You can use any variety. As you can see in these photos, we opted for multicolored cherry tomatoes, which we absolutely love for their differing flavors and textures. Each color adds a little something extra to this cherry tomato salsa! That being said, all one color would be perfectly fine, too.
• Olive oil: You can sub with any other high heat, neutral oil.
• Jalapeño: These peppers add the perfect kick to this cherry tomato salsa. If you want a little extra spice, don't remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapeños.
• Garlic: We keep the cloves unpeeled while roasting, which prevents them from burning since they cook faster than the other vegetables. Just don't forget to peel before adding to the blender!
• Cilantro: If you're not a fan of the flavor of cilantro, you can leave it out.
• Onion: Any variety of onion will work in this recipe, but we like white for its mellow flavor that doesn't overpower the tomatoes and jalapeño.
• Lime juice: Make sure to use freshly squeezed for the best possible flavor!

Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 400˚F. 

(1) Add tomatoes, onion, jalapeño and garlic cloves to a large mixing bowl. Toss with vegetable oil, salt and cumin until well coated. You can also do this directly on a sheet pan, but we find it's easier to evenly coat everything in a bowl.

(2) Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tomatoes are softened and onion/jalapeño are browned. 

Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Peel the garlic cloves. You should be able to easily squeeze the softened garlic directly out of the skin.

(3) Transfer everything to a blender or food processor with lime juice and blend for 20-30 seconds. Taste, add more salt ¼ teaspoon at a time if needed, and blend for 5-10 seconds between additions. 

Stir in fresh cilantro before serving. 

Tips and FAQs

• Spice it up: If you prefer a spicier salsa, leave the seeds in the jalapeños. This will add an extra kick to your cherry tomato salsa. Alternatively, add in a dash of chili powder or cayenne to the vegetables before roasting. Another great addition would be 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for extra spicy/smoky flavor.
• Don't forget to peel the garlic cloves once they come out of the oven!
• Add more salt as needed: It's always hard to tell exactly how much salt you'll need in this salsa until it's actually blended, so we always wait to add more until the end. Just be sure to blend well each time you add more to make sure it's evenly distributed.
• Storage: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
• Entertaining: If you're serving this cherry tomato salsa to a large crowd, we suggest doubling or tripling the recipe. This doesn't make a huge batch (the vegetables shrink a lot while roasting), so you'll need a bit more for a crowd.
• Ways to use this cherry tomato salsa:
  • On tacos, nachos or burrito bowls
  • With a breakfast burrito
  • On top of a breakfast scramble
  • With crispy potatoes
  • On a taco salad
  • On a burger
  • Stirred into homemade queso dip
  • With your favorite tortilla chips

Other Tomato Recipes to Enjoy

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