Restaurant-Style Salsa

If you were to ask me what my favorite food was - or what my last meal would be, I would hands-down tell you chips and salsa.  Okay, okay.....chips and salsa might not be a "meal" but that wouldn't change my answer.  Ever since I was little I have loved all mexican food (especially chips and salsa).  Not sure why, but despite my pint-a-week regular intake, I have yet to sick of it and doubt I ever will.

That said, I have yet to perfect the ultimate, authentic, restaurant style salsa that I have come to know and love.  I have tried nearly every recipe out there as well as done my own experimentations and though I have found some decent combinations, I haven't found "the one".  Until this week.  Sad about recipes that seemed promising but turned out disappointing, I thought hard and came up with some good ideas in hopes that I would create something great, and I did!  I might still play with it slightly here and there, but overall I would say that by far this is the best homemade salsa recipe I have tried!  I would highly recommend it and hope if you try it, that you are as satisfied as I am!

Restaurant-Style Salsa
makes about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups
5.5oz can of tomato juice (1 small can)
4 large roma tomatoes
1/3 c. cilantro, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) yellow chile peppers, finely diced
3 green onions, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely diced
juice of 1 a lime
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
pinch fresh ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to broil.  Place 3 of the roma tomatoes on a cookie sheet and broil until skin splits and blackens in spots.  Rotate, broiling on the other side as well.  Once both sides are roasted, remove and let cool.  Puree in a blender (or using an immersion blender) until smooth. 

Dice the remaining tomato.
In a medium bowl, mix the canned tomato juice, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, green onions, garlic, cilantro and yellow chile.  Stir in lime juice, kosher salt and a small amount of freshly ground pepper.  Let chill overnight (this will really help the flavors come together).

This made for a medium salsa.  If you like it mild, remove the chile seeds.  If you like it hotter, add another chile.  Keep in an air-tight container and refrigerate....keeps for about 1 week.

***Recipe Revised!  I updated this on 8/29/11 because I have played with it even more recently and think I have improved it even better!  You will notice however the picture has jalapenos as my original recipe did, but the updated recipe does not.