Description
This easy salsa recipe combines fire-roasted or fresh tomatoes with onions, garlic, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and lime juice to create a fresh, flavorful salsa perfect for dipping or as a topping. Quick to prepare and customizable for spice level, this vibrant salsa enhances any dish or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 2 (15oz) cans fire-roasted tomatoes or 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (1 ¾ pounds)
- 1/3 cup chopped white or sweet onion
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 medium jalapeño or serrano peppers
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Other Ingredients
- 1 to 2 medium limes
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Drain Tomatoes: Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander set over a large bowl to drain. Reserve the drained tomato juice for later use to thin the salsa or add flavor to other dishes.
- Soak and Rinse Onion: Cover the chopped onion in a medium bowl with cold water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse to reduce sharpness.
- Prepare Peppers: Decide on your preferred spice level. For mild salsa, remove all seeds and white membranes from the peppers. For medium, leave some seeds and membranes. For hot salsa, leave them intact and use 1 to 2 peppers.
- Chop Garlic: Add garlic cloves to a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add Ingredients to Blender: Scrape down the sides, then add drained tomatoes, drained and rinsed onions, prepared peppers, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and juice from half a lime.
- Pulse and Season: Pulse the mixture until desired texture is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lime juice as needed, typically totaling about 3/4 teaspoon salt. If salsa is too thick, add reserved tomato juice to thin.
- Refrigerate to Develop Flavor: Let the salsa sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor melding.
Notes
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes for a smoky depth of flavor or fresh tomatoes for a fresher taste.
- Adjust the number of peppers and seed content to control salsa heat.
- Reserved tomato juice can be stored and used later in soups or sauces.
- Refrigeration enhances flavor but salsa can be served immediately if desired.
- Store salsa in an airtight container and use within 3-4 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauce/Condiment
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: easy salsa, fire-roasted tomatoes salsa, fresh salsa recipe, blender salsa, homemade salsa, mild salsa, spicy salsa
