If you caught Part 1 of this series, you already have the guacamole covered. Now it’s time for the salsa.
This roasted salsa is the kind of thing that disappears fast at a potluck — rich from roasted peppers, bright from tomatillos and lime, and just different enough from jarred salsa that people always ask for the recipe. Like the guacamole, it’s naturally plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and it comes together with ingredients I picked up at a couple of my favorite local spots.
I’m serving it here with fresh jicama strips alongside tortilla chips — a whole food dipper option that works just as well for the adults at the table as it does for little ones.
Watch the Video
The Recipe
Roasted Salsa
Ingredients:
- 1 pasilla pepper
- 1 Anaheim pepper
- 1 serrano pepper (optional — omit for mild)
- 2 large tomatoes
- 4 tomatillos, husked
- ½ white onion
- 1 zucchini
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- ~1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Place the peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and zucchini on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 425°F until everything is softened and lightly charred — about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender along with cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend to your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.
What to Serve It With
I love offering fresh jicama strips alongside tortilla chips for this one. Jicama has a satisfying crunch and a mild sweetness that plays really well against the smoky depth of a roasted salsa. Serve the strips plain or dressed simply with lime and a pinch of salt. It’s an easy way to bring a whole food option to the table without any extra effort.
Feeding Therapy Tips by Age
Babies and young toddlers
Once roasted and blended, this salsa is essentially a vegetable puree — which makes it surprisingly baby-friendly with a few simple adjustments. Set aside a portion before adding salt, and go easy on or skip the serrano pepper for little ones. The mild, naturally sweet base of tomatillos, zucchini, and tomato is a gentle introduction to a lot of new flavors at once.
For jicama under age two, skip the raw strips. Instead, steam jicama until it’s soft enough to mash between your fingers, then serve mashed or in soft wedge pieces for babies who are working on self-feeding. It’s a great vehicle for the salsa once the texture is age-appropriate.
Picky eaters and older kids
This recipe has built-in opportunities to get kids involved at every step. Older toddlers and kids can help prep ingredients using a child-safe knife — cutting zucchini and onion into rough pieces is very manageable and gives them real ownership over what goes into the bowl. From there, let them help load the blender and press the button. Kids who blend the salsa themselves are much more likely to dip something into it.
If your child is hesitant about new dips, start with a familiar dipper — a chip they already like — and keep the salsa on the side of the plate without any pressure to try it. Repeated exposure at the table, without pressure, is often all it takes.
Where I Shopped
- Antojitos Latinos Market — 25381 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
- Whole Foods Market — 23932 Aliso Creek Road, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Products Used in This Video
- Olive oil: Nuvo Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt: Jacobsen Pure Kosher Sea Salt
- Chips: Siete Maiz Sea Salt Totopos Corn Tortilla Chips
Missed Part 1?
In the first video of this series, I made a classic guacamole — also plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and just as easy to modify for little ones.
