30 min · Vegan · Sauce & seasoning · For beginners
Salsa de Chile de Árbol
In German: Geröstete rote Chilisalsa · In English: Toasted Red Chile Salsa
For 16 servings · US units
Fiery salsa of toasted árbol chiles, roasted tomatillos and tomatoes
This is one of those salsas where you pause after the first spoonful, then go straight back for more: toasted árbol chiles bring a clean, punchy heat, while tomatillos and plum tomatoes add freshness and a gentle tang. It comes together in half an hour, and since everything in it is available year-round, there's almost always a jar of it somewhere in my fridge.
Ingredients
- 25stemmed, seeded if desired; adjust amount to taste for heatA small, slender, bright red dried Mexican chile, clearly hot, with a nutty, slightly grassy note.Substitute: Dried cayenne chiles or the thin dried red chiles sold in Asian shops match the heat and colour fairly well but lack the nutty note. Chilli flakes will do in a pinch, though they give less flavour and cannot be toasted or dosed in the same way.Read more
- 2stemmed and seeded, or guajillo instead; tempers the heat (optional)A long, dark red dried chile pod from New Mexico, mild to medium hot, with an earthy, slightly sweet and fruity flavour.Substitute: Guajillo chiles are the closest match, though slightly tangier and usually a touch hotter. Ancho chiles also work but make the sauce darker and sweeter, with more of a raisin note. Sweet paprika with a pinch of chile powder only matches the colour and mild heat, not the depth and body that soaked pods give.Read more
- 2 clovesgarlicpeeled, raw or toasted
- 8husked, rinsed, halved and roastedA green, tomato-like fruit wrapped in a papery husk, firm and distinctly tart, and the base of many green salsas.Substitute: Unripe green tomatoes with a little lime juice come closest in acidity and colour, but the flavour is flatter and less fruity, and the sauce turns out more watery. Physalis are too sweet to serve as a substitute.Read more
- 3tomatoeshalved, raw or broiled
- 1onionblended raw (optional)
- 1½ tbspolive oilfor toasting the chiles and tomatillos (optional)
- ½ cupwaterfor blending, plus hot water for soaking the chiles
- ½ tspsaltadjust to taste
Method
- Wipe or rinse the dried árbol chiles and, if you're using them, the New Mexico chiles. Pull off the stems and seed the árbol chiles if you like; the New Mexico chiles get seeded either way.
- Toast the chiles in a skillet with a little olive oil, or completely dry, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. You can also give them a quick toast in the oven. Stay close and don't let them burn.
- Pour hot water over the toasted chiles and let them soak for 10–30 minutes, then drain them well.
- Meanwhile, husk, rinse and halve the tomatillos, and halve the plum tomatoes. Roast the tomatillos and tomatoes in the skillet or under the broiler until soft and nicely charred in spots; the tomatoes can also go in raw.
- Peel the garlic and either leave it raw or toast it briefly alongside everything else. If you're using the small onion, peel it and cut it into rough chunks.
- Put the chiles, tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, the raw onion if using, the water and the salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust with a splash more water, a pinch more salt or a few extra chiles until the texture and heat are where you want them.
- Serve right away. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Tips and variations
For a greener, tangier version, use only tomatillos and skip the tomatoes; fry the chiles and garlic in oil and blend them without soaking, and add a few New Mexico or guajillo chiles. You can also skip the toasting altogether: just simmer and soak the chiles, then blend them with raw tomatoes instead of tomatillos. Or roast the tomatoes and tomatillos together under the broiler and blend in a raw onion. The number of árbol chiles is your heat dial, and the milder New Mexico chiles take some of the edge off. My serving tip: pour it straight from the blender into a small bowl and set it in the middle of the table, so everyone can help themselves as boldly as they dare.
Allergens
Not every ingredient in this recipe has been checked, so nothing is promised as free from.
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
