What is salsa?
Salsa simply means “sauce” in Spanish, and refers to a wide variety of sauces that can be made with or without tomatoes. The most popular one is a red tomato salsa recipe: salsa made with red tomatoes. Sometimes the tomatoes are cooked, other times they are used raw, like in our fresh garden salsa recipe below. And there are all sorts of other variations on salsa without tomatoes, too. Here are some popular salsas:
Red salsa (salsa roja): A sauce made with cooked or canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, and hot peppers Fresh salsa, salsa fresca or pico de gallo: A tomato salsa using fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapenos. See Salsa Fresca and Pico de Gallo.Green salsa, salsa verde, or tomatillo salsa: A salsa made using tomatillos, a variety of small green tomatoes with a tart flavor (usually cooked, but also served raw)Non tomato based salsas: Salsa can be made with many different fruits and vegetables. Some popular non tomato salsas are: Peach salsa, Mango salsa, Corn salsa, and Pineapple salsa
The best salsa recipe we’ve shared below is a basic salsa using fresh tomatoes. It’s also a mild salsa where you can customize the heat level.
Ingredients in this salsa recipe
The ingredients in a salsa recipe are basic, but each of the players contributes to the harmony of the flavors. While some recipes lend well to customization: don’t do it here! Use all these exactly as listed and you’ll have a killer recipe that will have friends begging for more.
Ripe, juicy tomatoes: use only the very best, ripe and juicy tomatoes! The flavor is 100% dependent on the tomato quality.White onion: most traditional in a fresh salsaGarlicJalapeño peppers: customize the amount depending on your spice toleranceCilantroCumin: a hint of cumin adds just the right complexityLime juiceKosher salt
How to make salsa
You’ve seen it in jars and containers at the store, but why not try to make your own salsa recipe at home? Here’s how to make that classic salsa dip using raw, ripe garden tomatoes, fresh lime, and lots of cilantro. While many fresh salsa recipes require chopping by hand, we used our food processor to make it easy and to get a uniform texture. Here’s how to make fresh salsa in a food processor (scroll down for the full recipe):
Why straining is so important!
The main issue when making a fresh salsa recipe is this: often there’s too much extra liquid from the raw tomatoes. It ends up with an odd soupy quality. Straining the salsa removes the extra liquid, and adding back some lime after straining makes sure it’s perfectly tangy! It turns into the most fresh, zesty salsa for chips and to throw onto tacos (or as a side to go with them). It’s one of our best vegetarian Mexican recipes to date.
Ways to serve this salsa recipe!
You probably have lots of ideas on how to serve this salsa recipe. But might we suggest a few of our own? Here are the top ways we eat it, ranging from obvious to more unique:
This salsa recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Looking for party appetizer recipes?
Outside of this salsa recipe, here are some of our favorite party appetizers, vegetarian appetizers, vegan appetizers, and dip recipes: No reviews
Whipped Feta DipEasy Refried Bean Dip or 5 Minute Bean DipPaprika Goat Cheese SpreadBaked BrieEasy PinwheelsHappy Hour Platter with Caramelized Onion DipPesto Grilled Cheese DippersVery Verde Cilantro DipBaked Brie with Roasted Cranberry SauceCherry and Goat Cheese CrostiniEasy Mango Salsa & Homemade Tortilla ChipsFamous Tomato Dip with Grilled BreadClassic Hummus
Last updated: June 2020
