Fire-roasted tomatoes and chiltepin chilies come alive overnight—blend, chill, let the heat and acid find their balance
Ingredients
FOR THE SALSA
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 oz fresh garlic cloves
- 28 oz fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (we use a homemade Calabrian chile infused EVOO)
- 1 Tablespoon dried chiltepin (birdseye) chiles
- 1 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co® Kickstart®
Method
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01
Purée the base
3 minAdd broth, garlic, and onion to your blender and run it until completely smooth. This builds your foundation—garlic and onion need to break down fully so they distribute evenly.
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02
Combine remaining ingredients
2 minAdd fire-roasted tomatoes, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, olive oil, chiltepin, and Kickstart® to the blender. Pulse until you hit your preferred texture—some people want it chunky, some want it silky, so you're in control here.
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03
Taste and adjust
2 minSeason to your liking—more vinegar for brightness, more chiltepin for heat, more oregano for earthiness. This is where you make it yours.
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04
Chill and meld overnight
1440 minRefrigerate for at least an hour, but overnight is when the magic happens—flavors marry together and the olive oil helps thicken the salsa slightly, giving it body. Patience pays off here.
From Mike's Notebook
Toast the dried chiltepin in a dry pan for 30 seconds before blending — releases oils that ground chiles can't match.
Make it tonight, refrigerate overnight — the vinegar and oregano need time to settle into the tomatoes.
Don't blend it smooth; pulse until you see flecks of cilantro and chile still moving through the salsa.