If you love all forms of tomato dips, then this cooked Chunky Tomato Sauce with Red Bell Peppers made from Scratch is for you. It’s mild (non-spicy) and can serve as a type of an Israeli non-spicy Matbucha or Mexican non-spicy Salsa. Tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and minimalistic spices.
I love this tomato- bell pepper dip. It’s suitable for a variety of meals. I love the fact that it’s not spicy. That makes it right for diners who just don’t like spiciness.
It would go great scooped up with a fresh pita and Hummus, or crispy pita triangle chips, or tortilla chips.
Kitchen Utensils
- Cutting board
- Vegetable knife
- Non-stick pot (just large enough to hold the tomatoes beside each other)
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Hand masher – Food processing/blending in a blender is not advisable. The color will turn orangish.. It doesn’t look very appealing, nor authentic.
Chunky Salsa for 2 From Scratch
Easy Chunky Salsa for 2 From Scratch.
Ingredients
- 4 Large whole tomatoes (preferably red and juicy)
- 1/2 red bell pepper (seeds removed & minced)
- 4 Large fresh garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt *(1 gram) (At end of cooking, check for saltiness and add if necessary for taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more - to your liking)
- 1/4 cup Oil (According to your preference)
Instructions
UTENSILS
Small non-stick pot + lid
Hand masher or immersion hand-stick blender
Spoon
1. VEGETABLE PREPARATION
Rinse all ingredients.
Tomatoes: Remove the tomato calyxes. Outer green parts of leaves, stems etc are notorious for being toxic, containing solanine. Read up on this if it interests you. Expert advice cannot be found on this site.
Red Bell Peppers: Remove pedicel, calyx, placenta (pith), capsaicin glands & seeds .
2. HEAT & COOKING
Add half amount of oil and on top, add the tomatoes and red bell pepper.
On a small-medium burner, fry on high for 2 minutes.
Now set heat to low and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Check frequently that the bottom is not burning. If it is, add another tablespoon of oil and 4 tablespoons of water.
- check frequently that the bottom is not burning. If it is, add 4 tablespoons of water at room temperature.
Check frequently that the bottom is not burning. If it is, add another tablespoon of oil and around 4 tablespoons of water at room temperature. These are not in the list of ingredients.
3. REMOVAL OF TOMATO SKIN & MASHING
Turn off heat. Remove pot from stove. With a fork, remove tomato skins.
Hand-mash/blend tomatoes with bell pepper.
Add rest of oil called for.
Return to smallest burner.
Cook on low heat for 30 minutes, checking from time to time that it's not burning.
If it is, add a bit more oil.
Don't add more water. It will lengthen evaporation and cook time.
The tomato skins can be consumed or discarded. It's not necessary to remove pepper skins.
4. REDUCE LIQUID
Cook until rather reduced. Shouldn't be too watery.
You can keep it a bit chunky with noticeable vegetable pieces (see bowl on right in image) or mash/blend until chunky with no visible vegetables (see bowl on left)
You can keep reducing even further, just keep checking that it doesn't burn.
5. SALT
When almost all liquids have evaporated, add salt, a bit at a time.
Notes
No added canned tomatoes. An all natural tomato salad cooked until tomatoes are reduced & condensed by cooking. A very simple recipe.
Calyx - the tiny leaves and green on top Don't cut any deeper to try to remove the white core underneath. It's important that all juice remains inside the tomato until it enters the pot Pedicel - the (green) stem (that attaches to the flower or fruit of the plant) Placenta or Pith - the white membrane the seeds are attached to capsaicin glands - They appear between the placenta and the seeds. Removing them reduces cook time.