Makes approximately 16 oz (1 jar)
Estimated Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 bell peppers, de-seeded
- 1 poblano pepper, de-seeded
- 1-2 jalapeños, cut in half and de-seeded (omit if wanting a milder sauce)
- 1 onion, cut in half with the root and outer layer removed
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup cilantro or parsley
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cream (can sub for dairy free creamer like Nutpods)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cumin
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Cut the peppers along each side, and discard the center with all the seeds
- Take a sharp knife and cut the tops off the garlic head so that the garlic cloves are exposed
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the bell, poblano and jalapeño peppers, and the onion.
- Take a small piece of aluminum foil, place the garlic in the center, drizzle with about 2 tsp of olive oil, and fold the foil on top so you have a little ball and place on the baking sheet with the peppers
- Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes
- Once roasted, remove from the oven and add the peppers and onion to a high-powered blender or food processor
- Remove the garlic from the foil (it will be hot, so be careful) and squeeze 3-4 garlic cloves out of the bulb (I used tongs) and add to the peppers
- Add your cilantro/parsley, lemon juice, cream, salt, pepper, and cumin to the vegetables and blend until at your desired consistency
- Serve over pasta, chicken, or fish, or place in a jar and freeze for future use
Growing up, I wasn’t much of a bell pepper person… or really any pepper. I ate them if I was served some, but once I started living on my own and making more of my own meals, I avoided buying them.
Which is kinda crazy considering I grew up in Texas surrounded by Mexican food and fajitas… but what can ya do? But somewhere along the way, I started adding them to more dishes for an extra veggie or some extra texture and gradually, I was buying them more and even growing them in our own backyard garden!
So in addition to the copious amounts of tomato sauce I was making, I was also trying to make a red-pepper sauce that I could replace tomato sauce with here and there… especially because tomatoes are SO acidic and heartburn is no fun way to fall asleep (and yes, peppers are technically a little less acidic).
So here it is! Three different types of peppers for extra flavor, a dash of cumin, and a little cream makes for a decadent, really tasty sauce! The jalapeño adds a bite, even without the seeds, so I would omit if you don’t like “spicy” foods. My favorite way to eat this is with grilled chicken over pasta with burrata (this chicken marinade is perfect for it), but it would be just as good with a grilled white fish, shrimp, or just over pasta by itself! It’s also super easy to freeze to save for later (I have a few jars in the freezer myself)!
cook•int 