A good salsa roja needs body. Midnight Roma gives you that paste tomato density, plus dark shoulders and concentrated flavour that make the finished salsa taste deeper.
Char the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper hard enough to get smoke and sweetness, then keep the texture a little rough. This is a salsa for tacos, eggs, beans, grilled meats, and chips still warm from the oven.
At a glance
- Yield: About 2 cups
- Time: 30 minutes
- Heat level: Adjustable
- Best season: Tomato preserving season
Why this variety works
Midnight Roma behaves like a paste tomato in the kitchen: less water, more flesh, and better sauce texture. The dark skin makes the roasted salsa look especially rich.
Ingredients
- 6 Midnight Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 jalapeno, serrano, Habanada, or mild pepper
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Method
- Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot, or set the broiler to high.
- Char tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper until blistered and blackened in spots.
- Peel the garlic. Remove pepper seeds if you want less heat.
- Pulse charred vegetables with cilantro, lime, and salt until chunky and spoonable.
- Rest for 10 minutes, then adjust lime and salt. Salsa always tastes flatter before it rests.
Make it yours
- Use Habanada for no heat but lots of aroma.
- Add a roasted tomatillo for extra acidity.
- Blend smoother and simmer for five minutes for a taqueria-style salsa.
How to serve it
Use on tacos, fried eggs, black beans, grilled steak, quesadillas, roasted potatoes, or as a base for chilaquiles.
Garden note
Grow extra Midnight Roma plants if you like preserving. They are exactly the sort of tomato that disappears quickly into sauces and salsa.
Grow it from seed: Midnight Roma Tomato Seeds