This homemade salsa has been my ‘go to’ for making a quick, cheap and tasty fresh salsa for when people drop by unexpectedly or when you want a fairly healthy snack. I can’t remember exactly where or when I came up with the recipe, but it was probably after a visit to the US and tasting the fantastic salsas that you get in every Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant. I had always thought that it must have been the freshness or ripeness of the ingredients that made them taste so amazing compared to any homemade salsa I had tasted before. It wasn’t until I started experimenting at home and found out that the key ingredients for making the best homemade salsa is lots of fresh lime juice and handfuls of fresh cilantro (fresh coriander).
Homemade Salsa – Ingredients
The easy part of my homemade salsa recipe is that it the real speed comes from using a blender. It’s easier using a food processor, but a stick blender can be used as well. How long you blend for is a matter of how chunky you wish the salsa to be in the end. I usually go for medium chunky, though not to be confused with that other fresh tomato salsa, i.e. pico de gallo.
Using canned tomatoes gives the salsa a stronger ‘tomatoey’ flavour and using the crushed variety instead of chopped or whole means that there will be less water leading to a thicker sauce. Make sure you read the ingredients of your tomatoes to see if they contain salt or not. If so, then leave out the salt in the recipe. The other reason for using canned tomatoes is that not only are they usually cheaper than fresh tomatoes, but the quality of flavor is usually more consistent.
Fresh Salsa Recipe
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 green jalapeño chilli pepper (remove the seeds and ribs for less heat or add more chillies for extra heat)
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (leaf coriander)
- The juice from 1 medium lime
- 2 tbls ground coriander
- Freshly ground pepper
- Granulated Sugar (optional depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes and the sourness of the lime juice. Usually between 0.5 and 1 tsp)
- Salt (omit if your tomatoes already contain salt)
Fresh Salsa Recipe
How to make the best homemade salsa
- Using a food processor or blender, blend together the onions, lime juice, pepper and jalapeño.
- Next add the tomatoes, cilantro, ground coriander, salt and pepper and blend until just chopped to the desired chunkiness.
- Pour into a serving bowl and enjoy or leave in the fridge for up to a couple of days.
One of my favourite smells of all time is when I open up the food processor and get hit with the smell of the freshly chopped vegetables and cilantro. It’s hard sometimes not to dig in straight away. Pour some corn tortilla chips into a bowl, especially Julio’s Tortilla Chips, if you can get them, and dive in. You could also use this easy homemade salsa a table sauce with baked fish, chicken or barbecue. Enjoy!
