I am a salsa fiend. I will dip nearly anything in it and I will pour it on practically everything. Hot salsas, mild salsas, green salsas and red salsas—I love them all equally and I will devour them with a similar panache. Salsa just makes everything better.

And this salsa? Wowza. Blackened + roasted veggies combine with spices for an otherworldy creation. My husband is generally not a salsa fan—he just doesn’t really do sauces in general—but even he said this is the best salsa he’s ever had (and I promise he wouldn’t just say that). This recipe yields enough for maybe four people, but I’ve doubled it before when we’ve had people over for pool parties. I hope you enjoy! And if you need a killer queso to go with it, check out my Salsa Verde Queso recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

3 large tomatoes, quartered

1 red onion, cut into chunks
6 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder)
Juice of one lime
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper

STEPS

1) If you have a gas stove, go ahead and roast the poblano and jalapeno over an open flame. Blacken as much of the skin as possible and set aside.

2) Turn the broiler on your oven on high. Place the tomatoes, red onion and garlic onto a sheet pan (if you don’t have a gas stove, add the poblano and the jalapeno to the pan, too). Broil until the skins are mostly blackened, rotating the pan every five minutes or so. You’ll likely end up broiling the veggies for around 30 minutes.

3) If you have time, allow the roasted veggies to fully cool before adding them to a blender with the spices, lime juice and cilantro. This will ensure the lime and cilantro stays super bright and fresh. When you’re ready to blend, prepare the veggies—chop both ends off the peppers and and remove the placenta (interesting pepper anatomy explanation here). Don’t remove the blackened skins, though, as that’s what gives the salsa its roasted flavor. Remove any stem bits from the tomatoes, and discard the garlic peels. Blend all salsa ingredients until smooth.