Grilled Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

Summer is here and that means outdoor fun and fresh foods! This salsa is grilled to add a smoky flavor, is full of fresh and healthy vegetables and is an easy snack for those summer parties.

Summer has finally arrived in Portland…I think.  It has been sunny and 75° one day and cloudy and 65° the next. Oh, Portland always keeping us guessing.  Anyways, I say it’s good enough and I am ready to get into the summer mood. Whoohoo! It has been a long winter and I am welcoming all that summer brings, being outside and eating all the fresh foods, like salsa! Being in Oregon, it makes it pretty easy to find fresh foods because there are Farmers Markets everywhere. I prefer to buy local and fresh, it supports the local economy and tastes so much better.

Salsa is the one thing that I make every summer.  My husband and I eat a lot of salsa, I’m talking at least once a week. We usually can salsa with my mom at the end of the summer so we have a hefty stock; this last summer’s batch led to my first post on Sage to Silver, Canning 101: Green Chili Salsa. Check it out if you are planning on canning this summer, now is the time to start planning for those projects! Canning is a great way to make fresh foods that will last for months but sometimes you need a quicker option. Fresh salsa is super easy to make; it only takes a few ingredients, a food processor, about 30 minutes and bam! you’ve got a big batch of salsa.

First things first, the ingredients are the most important part. In most of my recipe posts, I encourage you to make it your own. That is how great recipes are made! So with this recipe, you can either use fresh tomatoes or a 28 oz. can of peeled tomatoes and if you prefer a hotter salsa, try a different pepper. Personally, I will use fresh whenever I can and I like the colors that fresh tomatoes add to the salsa.  

I will usually either grill or roast my salsas, I enjoy most salsas but I just love the taste that grilling creates. Plus, it is super easy to add that extra step to provide that smoky flavor.  You can grill your veggies on an outdoor grill or indoors on a stovetop grill.  Grill all the vegetables and garlic, this will release all the wonderful flavors so inhale deeply.

A food processor is (in my opinion) the best way to go when making fresh salsa.  It’s easy, clean up is a breeze and it provides the best texture. You can use a blender, but if you do make sure to use the pulse option if available and stop to stir frequently.  When you have all the ingredients into your food processor (or if your food processor is ridiculously small like mine, split up all the ingredients and do two batches) use the pulse feature and pulse 5 -7 times or more if you prefer a fine texture. 

For the best flavor, put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.  Then you can grab your tortilla chips and dig in! Try it with nachos or on scrambled eggs in the morning.

Enjoy!