Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe

Ali Segersten Sep 15, 2016 10 comments

It's tomato season and I bet many of you are searching for more ways to preserve the tomato harvest! Last year I had a bumper crop of roma tomatoes so I created this easy fire-roasted tomato salsa recipe as a way to preserve the harvest. I had my freezer stocked full of salsa in various sized jars that we enjoyed through the winter months. I'm really happy to finally be sharing my recipe with you. It's a mix of roasted tomatoes and other raw ingredients, creating a nutrient-packed condiment!

Roasting tomatoes under the broiler brings out a stunning, sweet caramelized flavor, which adds depth and complexity to your salsa. It also releases some of the liquid in the tomatoes so your salsa does't end up too watery.

If you are looking for other ways to preserve your tomato harvest then you might want to try my Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce recipe, or simply freeze your tomatoes whole (stems removed). I like to take whole frozen roma tomatoes and soak them in hot water for a few minutes. This allows their skins to slip right off. Then I chop them up and add them to soups and stews in the wintertime.

Enjoy this flavorful salsa recipe with homemade gluten-free Brown Rice Flour Tortillas, cooked beans or shredded meat, guacamole, and thinly sliced fresh greens.

ALI-2023-PHOTO-VERTICAL-2

About the Author

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 1,800 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.

See More

Nourishing Meals Newsletter

Email updates.

Add Comment

Comments

Do you have an option to can this recipe? How would I alter the acid content to be sure it could be canned safely?

How long would you process this in a water bath for canning? I am thinking 30 mins.

Hi Christa,

Thanks so much for your feedback. SO glad you both love the recipe. Yay! :-)

Hi Ali! We made your salsa recipe the other day...we don't like it...we LOVE it😊 My hubby is quite the salsa snob and let's just say I don't think another salsa will ever do again. This will definitely be a treasured recipe. Thank you so much!

Hi Shari,

Thanks for your input! I've never used ground coriander before (I do add a whole bunch of cilantro), but I do occasionally add ground cumin. I should have mentioned that as an option.

Thank you for pointing this out! :)

Thank you Ali for another yummy-looking recipe. I've only ever made salsa using tinned tomatoes. Do you ever add ground cumin or coriander? I usually like to add one or the other.

Hi Susan,

Thank you for your kind words! I love it...no schprays! So cute.

I think you will really enjoy this salsa recipe. My children love it too! :)

Hi Ali, thank you! I was at our little market yesterday staring at the bushels of Roma tomatoes, wishing I could wrap my head around what to do with them, amidst busy schedules and before they're gone. They also remind me of grandma who would take me out back to her garden. We'd pluck them off the plants, give em a little brush off and eat them right there. She'd announce, no schprays!! Get it? Grandma was organic before I new what she was talking about..😆
So, today..your 'wow, that looks great' salsa recipe appears in my inbox today!😊 and, now I'm so excited to make and freeze jars of salsa and make a little marinara next week after a busy Scouting weekend.
Thank you so much for all your loving efforts to give us great approachable and scrumptious recipes...for every one! Still have to try those gluten free lava cakes from last mail! ...mmm!
Wishing you God's blessings with big thanks, Susan 🌹

Hi Meghan!

Thanks for your input. I add the acid (vinegar or lime juice) to balance flavors. Roasting the tomatoes adds so much sweetness, so without the acid the flavor is a little flat. When I'm creating a recipe I go by taste and this is something I've found that the salsa needed each time I made it. Of course you can omit it if you prefer!

If you go back up to the recipe, you can see that I do add hot chili peppers and chipotle chili powder....which makes the salsa so good! :)

This recipe was not designed for canning. Otherwise I would have cooked the other ingredients. Roasting the onion and garlic sound like a great way if you plan on canning!

I never remove the skins or seeds in any of my recipes either. Just roast those tomatoes whole, and then add the whole roasted tomatoes to the food processor. So easy, and all nutrients stay in the salsa! :) The only time I remove the skins of the tomatoes is after they have been frozen and I want to add diced tomatoes to a soup. The skins get kind of leathery and the texture of the soup is better without them.

If you click through to my marinara sauce recipe you will see that I use my Vitamix to puree whole raw tomatoes (seeds, skin, and all) before cooking down for hours into a sauce. Much easier, and yes, such a great way to keep all the nutrients.

RE: Roasted Tomato Salsa - It's even better when you roast the onion and garlic right along with the tomatoes! Since it's in the freezer, you don't really need the acid at all - you can keep the sweet roasted flavors but add hot peppers like Serrano and Jalapheno - the sweet offsets the hot - Yummy! Also, I puree those roasted tomato skins in the Vitamix and add the fiber right back into the food - no waste AND better health (and I never remove the seeds either).

Related Posts

AFRICAN BLUE BASIL PURPLE MOUNTAIN BASIL-1
Jul 21, 2025

How to Use African Blue Basil: A Gut-Healing Chutney Recipe to Preserve the Harvest

If you grow African Blue Basil—also known as Purple Mountain Basil—you know how abundant and fragrant this plant becomes in late summer. This raw, oil-free spicy blue basil chutney recipe is one of my favorite ways to preserve the harvest and support deep nourishment and wellness all year long. Made with fresh blue basil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and Thai chili peppers, this chutney is anti-inflammatory, microbiome-supportive, and incredibly flavorful. I grow multiple types of basil every year—sweet basil, Thai basil, holy basil (tulsi), and of course, African Blue. These simple daily rituals of tending, harvesting, and preparing herbs are the foundation of my own health, infusing everyday meals with nourishment and rhythm.

Read More
LACTO-FERMENTED VEGETABLES
Jul 03, 2025

The Healing Power of Fermented Vegetables for Gut Health

You've probably heard of sauerkraut, kimchi, and sour dill pickles, right? These are all examples of lacto-fermented vegetables—a traditional form of food preservation that has supported human health for centuries. Before refrigeration, lacto-fermentation was a primary method for preserving the harvest through the winter. If you find yourself with a garden full of cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, or beets, consider transforming them into a few jars of tangy, probiotic-rich vegetables. When stored properly, these fermented foods can last for months—if they don’t get devoured first! Beyond preservation, they nurture your gut microbiome—your inner garden of health and healing.

Read More
FRESH NETTLE-PARSLEY PESTO-1
Mar 30, 2024

Fresh Nettle Pesto Recipe (dairy-free)

Nettles are one of the first wild foods to emerge in the spring, and, undoubtedly, one of the most nutrient-dense wild plants! They thrive in rich, moist soil, and in sunny locations. You may find them blanketing a deciduous forest floor in early spring before the tree canopy emerges, or in an open, mowed field. The fallen leaves from autumn create a fertile environment for nettles to emerge from in early spring. After the dense, cold winter months, nettles arrive and remind us to lighten our loads, to cleanse, and to restore.

Read More
LACTO-FERMENTED HOT SAUCE-2
Nov 01, 2021

How to Make Lacto-Fermented Hot Sauce

Making your own lacto-fermented hot sauce is a wonderful way to naturally preserve your hot pepper garden harvest! Once fermented, the hot sauce should last for about 9 to 12 months in your refrigerator. Use this tangy and spicy hot sauce to top scrambled eggs, stir-fries, soups, and all types of Thai food! Each time you use it, you are consuming a wide variety of beneficial bacteria that help to promote gut health. I make a few gallons each year after I harvest all of the peppers growing in my garden. The sweet red bell peppers balance out the spiciness in the hot peppers to make the sauce tolerable and enjoyable—not just all spice! Each batch I make is a little bit different, depending on how many bell peppers I include and which variety of hot chili pepper I use most.

Read More
Aug 19, 2016

Homemade Herbed Sea Salt Recipe (Herbamare)

This isn’t just salt—it’s a deeply nourishing infusion of minerals, herbs, and plant-based compounds that elevates your food and your health! If you’ve followed my recipes for a while, you already know how much I love Herbamare—a seasoned sea salt that layers savory herbs and vegetables into a mineral-rich, flavorful blend. It’s one of my favorite ways to add depth to meals while keeping sodium in balance. But over the last year, I began crafting my own version at home—fresh, customizable, and deeply connected to the rhythms of my kitchen and garden.

Read More
how to freeze berries cherries fruit-2
Sep 07, 2012

Simple Ways to Preserve Fruit

This time of year, fruit is falling off the trees, and many people wonder how to preserve it before it goes to waste. A lot of fresh fruit ends up rotting—maybe that’s part of nature’s grand design to enrich the soil around the roots? I’m not sure. But one thing is certain, late summer is a busy time for anyone with fruit trees or berry bushes. There are a few simple methods you can use to quickly preserve the harvest. We freeze most of our fruit in an extra freezer in the garage. While this may not be the most energy-efficient method, it’s quick and easy—especially if you have extra freezer space. If you’d like to dive deeper, I wrote an entire chapter on preserving the harvest in my new cookbook, Nourishing Meals.

Read More