Restaurant-Style Salsas
Salsa del Norte
Roasted Tomato Restaurant-Style Salsa. Roasted tomatoes, fresh jalapeño, onion, cilantro, and garlic become a spoonable red table salsa.
Cook it
- Broil: Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler. Broil whole tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once or twice, until soft and dark in spots, about 15–18 minutes. Watch closely.
- Cool: Let tomatoes cool until safe to handle; remove tough stem ends. Keep skins and pan juices.
- Blend: Put tomatoes and juices in a blender with onion, cilantro, 2 jalapeños, garlic, salt, and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Blend to a loose, mostly smooth table salsa. Work in batches if needed; do not seal a blender full of very hot tomatoes.
- Adjust: Taste with a clean spoon. Add the third jalapeño for more heat, up to 1 tablespoon more vinegar for tang, more salt as needed, or a tiny pinch of sugar if needed. Blend briefly. Serve warm or chill covered.
Keep it safely
Refrigerate promptly in a covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days. This is not a tested canning formula; do not store it at room temperature or use this method for shelf-stable jars.
Adjust at the table
Start with two jalapeños and two tablespoons vinegar; taste before adding the third chile or the remaining vinegar. The original source also permits canned chipotle instead of jalapeño for a smoky variation, but that version is not depicted in this image. Keep chunky pico de gallo as a separate fresh salsa.
Why broil first?
Broiling softens the tomatoes and darkens some of their skin. Blending them with their pan juices makes the base smooth while the cilantro and chile leave fine flecks.
Source and edition
Independently written from “Salsa del Norte” on page 38 of Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison’s The Border Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, 1995), supplied as a scan by the site owner. This edition selects the fresh-jalapeño version, begins with less salt and the lower end of the source’s vinegar range, and adds explicit tasting and storage guidance. Yield and timing are adapted from the source; follow the visual cues as you cook.
- The Border Cookbook publication record
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: Sensational Salsas — fresh storage and canning safety.
Developed 6 October 2026. See our corrections policy.
