Ooooh. Finally a Paleo appetizer that’s dippable, spicy and delicious. A Paleo Salsa Recipe!
Whoever came up with salsa knew what they were doing. It is the perfect combo of flavors, and once you add a chip to it it’s basically addicting. Back in the day my sister, Mom, and I would meet our friends at the local Chili’s for chips and salsa for hours. Unhealthy habit? I think there could be worse. Either way it was our time to catch up on each other’s lives, and enjoy a margarita or two to share.
So yesterday I knew it was about that time for a new blog post. So I headed to the store and got fresh tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, and limes for this masterpiece. I felt like a snob looking at the row of hundreds of salsas bottled, but there’s just something wrong about eating salsa out a bottle when I can make it so easily.
The problem came with the chips. I mean, if chips were Paleo I would’ve been eating chips and salsa the past few years. So then I thought… plantain chips! Plantains are paleo! I’ve seen them all over my Instagram feed, but there were no ripe plantains at the store. Sooo I settled for a packaged brand. They were cooked in palm oil, which is actually Paleo. So I left the store a happy girl. (If you want a homemade plantain chip recipe, go here!)
Next, Momma and I made this salsa, and I ate about half of it with the chips and was too full for dinner. That’s how good this stuff is. So I encourage you to make this homemade salsa. Then you should make a 2 ingredient salsa chicken recipe (with your fresh salsa)! Adios senoritas, happy salsa making!
- 3 plum tomatoes, halved
- 1 green jalapeno, halved with seeds removed
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 white onion, cut into 4 quarters
- 2-3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
- Heat cast iron on medium to high heat for 5 minutes, with no oil.
- Place tomatoes, jalapeno, and unpeeled garlic cloves onto hot cast iron and cook for 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Remove from cast iron and peel the cloves of garlic. Then place cooked ingredients in a food processor.
- Add onions to the hot cast iron and cook for 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Place onions in food processor with other ingredients. Turn on for 30 seconds or until desired consistency.
- Let salsa sit for ten minutes, then add cilantro, lime, and salt. Stir. Serve room temperature or cold with plantain chips.
- I used roma tomatoes, which are a variety of plum tomatoes.
- Seal in an air-tight container for up to three days.
Try this 1,2,3,4 version which is not cooked so much.
1 pinch salt
2 fresh jalepenos
3 cloves garlic
4 Roma tomatoes
Heat dry skillet on high. Quickly heat jalepenos and tomatoes until the skins start to blacken. Blend ingredients. Simple and fresh tasting. No onion allows the other flavors to come through.
Thanks Paul!
Could this recipe work without using a cast iron skillet?
Yes! You can use another kind of skillet.
Anything that can be made in a cast-iron = a win for me!
Me too!!
Looks delicious! I’ve been craving some chips and dip, think I’ll save this recipe and have a go!
I boil the onion, garlic & 1 jalapeño & 1 Serrano chili for 10 min, drain & add to 1 can mexican tomatoes, 1/2 Bunch cilantro, 1/2 lemon juiced, salt, pepper, dash cumin& oregano… Blend in food processor Or blender… Yum! Even real Mexicans like it.