Salsa de Almendras

Appetizer

By el chino latino cocina on December 8, 2014 • ( 6 Comments )

The combination of toasted almonds, roasted tomatoes and dried chiles makes for a spicy and creamy sauce. You can use it as a dip or as a sauce to serve over grilled meat or poultry. It is so good that you might have to remind people that it is not “awesome” sauce, it’s Almond Sauce!

Salsa de Almendra (Almond Sauce)

1 pound plum tomatoes

4 whole chiles de árbol

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2/3 cup slivered almonds

½ medium white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seed

Salt to taste

½ cup water

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast the tomatoes until they are lightly charred, about 25 minutes. Put the tomatoes in a blender and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles on both sides until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the same skillet, add one teaspoon of oil along with the slivered almonds. Toast the almonds over medium-low heat until slightly brown. Make sure not to burn the almonds. When they are ready, remove the almonds from the skillet and set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the same skillet and add the onion and cumin seeds, cooking until the onion is beginning to brown. Spoon the onions and cumin seeds into the blender with the tomatoes. Add the toasted almonds as well.

Break the reserved chiles de árbol into small pieces removing the seeds if you want a less spicy sauce. Place the broken pieces in the blender along with some salt and the ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth and thick. If it is too thick, you can add a little more water (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach the right consistency. Pour into a bowl to use as a dip or serve it over other dishes.

Categories: Appetizer, Salsa

Tagged as: 1000 Mexican Recipes, almonds, chiles de árbol, cumin seed, Marge Poore, Mexican cuisine, plum tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, salsa, toasted almonds, vegan, vegetarian, white onion