Description
A mild, smooth enchilada sauce made from dried chile pods and roasted vegetables. Restaurant-quality flavor that's better than anything from a can.
Ingredients
- 7 dried chile pods (guajillo, California, or New Mexico), tops and seeds removed
- 1 roma tomato
- ½ white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for roasting
- ¾ cup filtered water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak the chiles. Place dried chile pods in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let steep until soft, approximately 20 minutes.
- Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomato, onion, and garlic on a foil-lined roasting pan. Rub with olive oil. Roast 8 minutes. Remove garlic, flip onion and tomato, and roast another 8 minutes.
- Blend. Remove the skins from the cooled garlic (they're easier to peel after they're cooked). Add all the roasted vegetables (with pan juices), softened chiles, ¾ cup filtered water, ½ cup chile soaking liquid, and salt to a blender. Blend 1 minute until smooth.
- Cook the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Pour in sauce (it will splatter). Stir until it reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Add water if too thick.
Notes
Sauce too bitter? Stir in a teaspoon of sugar, honey, or a small piece of semi-sweet chocolate.
Sauce too thin? Simmer longer to reduce.
Sauce too thick? Whisk in more water.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 56
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 378.4 mg
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
