Salsa Cremosa Tomato Salad

Spicy, refreshing, and absolutely drenched. 

This salad is like if salsa macha and romesco had a baby. If you’re unfamiliar, salsa macha is a Mexican chili crisp made from chilies, garlic, and pepitas or peanuts. During the brainstorm of this recipe though, I decided I wanted a creamy element and ended up  with my version of salsa cremosa. The tomatoes and strawberries balance the richness of the salsa perfectly and the peanuts tie it all together to give you that true salsa macha flavor. 

1-2 ripe heirloom tomatoes

3-4 strawberries depending on size 

½ shallot 

Roasted and salted peanuts 

Fresh cilantro 

½ lime 

Vinegar of choice 

EVOO

For the salsa:

1 dried guajillo chile 

3 dried chile de arbol

¼ sweet onion

½ red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic

1 small knob peeled ginger about ½ inch

½ tsp kosher salt 

⅓ cup creme fraiche 

1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles and place them in a bowl with a lid. Cover them with boiling water and let soften for 15 minutes. Reserve your pepper water when finished. 

2. Meanwhile, char the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. I do this directly over the fire of my stove. If you don’t have a gas stove, this can be done in a cast iron or regular pan over high heat. Get a good char on all sides. If you get your peppers very black, place them in a ziploc bag for a few minutes and when they’re cool enough to handle, remove them and peel off the black parts to keep your sauce from becoming bitter. Place everything in a blender with ½ cup of the pepper water left from your dried chiles and blend until very smooth. Refrigerate until cool. 

3. Make the strawberry salsa by finely dicing the strawberries and shallot. Place them in a bowl with 1 tbsp vinegar, juice from half a lime, and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine and set aside. 

4. Finely crush your roasted peanuts and pluck a handful of cilantro leaves from their stems. Slice your heirloom tomato to your preferred thickness. 

5. Plate by spreading a good amount of the sauce on a plate. Lay down your tomato slices and season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Top with remaining ingredients and a good drizzle of olive oil.