We had one big final harvest of our summer garden tomatoes, and after making a huge batch of my Roasted Tomato Soup, I had just enough to make a jar of our favorite paleo restaurant style salsa.
Does anyone else feel like the salsa you order at restaurants is so addicting? This recipe mimics that flavor by using freshly roasted tomatoes, lots of lime, lots of fresh herbs, and spices. You can omit the jalapeno seeds for a mild option, or include them for an extra kick. This recipe will certainly be a crowd-pleaser for all your game-day parties and appetizer needs. You can make it a chunky salsa, or puree it for a smoother salsa and serve alongside your favorite grain-free or gluten-free chips.
Once you make this homemade salsa, the store-bought options will never compare. It is incredibly fresh and packed with flavor. I used a combination of roma, heirloom, and cherry tomatoes, but feel free to use whatever tomatoes you have on hand. Besides the fresh tomatoes, what takes this salsa to the next level and gives it that restaurant flavor, are the fresh herbs and spices. It has fresh garlic, chili powder, and cumin along with fresh cilantro and green onions to help balance it out.
The Chips:
The chips I like to use for my dipping needs are Terra’s Taro chips. I prefer these chips because they have a solid crunch to them and don’t fall apart when you dip them. Their ingredients are clean and simple and do well with my digestive system. Siete has several options of grain-free chips that are also delicious and perfect for this salsa recipe. Plantain chips also work really well here for a grain-free option. If you feel like making your own, I have a recipe for plantain chips on page 98 in my cookbook Eat What You Love. There are a couple of store-bought ones too if you don’t have the time to make your own.
How to serve:
If you are in charge of appetizers for a game day or any gathering, you can never go wrong with a big bowl of homemade salsa! You can definitely serve this on its own, or serve it alongside fresh guacamole. I have a recipe for guac in my cookbook Eat What You Love on page 95, or here on the blog. If you are looking for an even bigger spread of dips, I have a recipe for Cauliflower Hummus on page 94 in Eat What You Love as well!
Of course, if you haven’t eaten the entire jar of this paleo restaurant style salsa with chips, save the rest for Taco night. Some of my favorite taco recipes are my Chipotle Barbacoa Tacos, Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos from page 138 in my cookbook Against all Grain, and my Beef Tacos from page 146 in my cookbook Meals Made Simple.
Enjoy, friends! If you are looking for more game day appetizer recipes, check out this blog post for my recipe roundup!
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PrintPaleo Restaurant Style Salsa
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, quartered
- ½ pound cherry tomatoes
- 2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 jalapenos, seeded for mild
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems, about ½ cup loosely packed
- 2 green onions, ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, yellow onions, garlic, and jalapenos on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the avocado oil. Place on the top rack under the broiler and broil for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skins are charred and the tomatoes are softened.
- Transfer the vegetables and any juices from the pan to a blender or food processor. Add the tomato paste, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Pulse 8 to 10 times until everything is finely chopped. For a less chunky salsa, blend to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours before enjoying with grain-free chips. Salsa will keep, tightly sealed, in a jar in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Keywords: salsa, mexican cuisine, restaurant style, spicy, gluten free, grain free, paleo, clean eating, Danielle Walker, against all grain
10/14/21
Paleo Restaurant Style Salsa
Would this freeze well?
Yes
If you wanted to make a large batch, can this recipe be processed or would you just store it in the fridge?
Thank you.
You can freeze this recipe if you want to make a large batch to store!
I made this on Saturday when my in-laws were over. It was a hit with everybody including the kids. So delicious!
So glad everyone enjoyed it!!