One of the best ways to use up an abundance of garden-fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes in your cupboard is homemade salsa! It’s the best condiment and snack that’s easy to make at home and tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff. This Easy Salsa Recipe is one of my favorites. It’s made with a handful of fresh ingredients, like tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapenos, and is a great snack to add to your repertoire. Best of all, it comes together entirely in a blender! This restaurant-style salsa is sure to become one of your new favorite Mexican-inspired snacks because it’s: I love adding a dollop of this blended salsa on top of vegan nachos, burrito bowls, and tacos. It’s also perfect as a snack with tortilla chips!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
Canned tomatoes – I made this salsa recipe with canned fire-roasted tomatoes because they add a subtle smoky flavor and another dimension of flavor. You can also use canned diced, plum, or stewed tomatoes, or chop fresh tomatoes yourself. Whatever you do, use high-quality canned or fresh tomatoes, as they’ll give the salsa a bright, fresh, and strong tomato flavor. Garlic – Fresh cloves. Do not substitute these for garlic powder! Red onion – Red onion isn’t as tart or strongly flavored as white onion, even though it, according to The Kitchn, is used more commonly in Mexican salsa recipes. If you don’t have red onions, you can use white or green onions instead. Cilantro – This adds a pop of freshness to the salsa. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t like cilantro. Jalapenos – Remove the seeds and veins from the chili peppers if you don’t want the salsa to be too spicy. Lime juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is best! Salt – Don’t add all of the salt at once. Instead, taste the salsa as you go and blend in a little salt at a time until you find your perfect flavor.
How to make an easy salsa recipe in a blender
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below. Add all of the salsa ingredients to a blender* or food processor. Pulse a few times until the salsa has as much texture as you like (this won’t take long). Just don’t puree it until it’s completely smooth. *I made the salsa in a Vitamix blender, but you can use any high-powered or regular blender you already have at home. Give it a taste and add more salt, cilantro, or jalapeno as needed. Pulse once more, then pour the blended salsa into an airtight jar. Let it chill in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
You’ll love having a batch of restaurant-quality salsa on hand at all times because it has so many uses! These are my favorite ways to use it:
As a dip – Enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips or with homemade quesadillas. On burritos – Roll a dollop of salsa into a vegan burrito to give it a cooling and refreshing touch. In tacos and fajitas – Along with refried beans, homemade salsa is one of the best toppings on meaty vegan tacos and fajitas with sauteed vegetables. On nachos – Drizzle nacho cheese sauce on first, then finish your vegan nachos with tomato salsa on top. On salads and grain bowls – Use the salsa as a topping on burrito bowls, grain bowls, taco salads, or any other bowl that needs a burst of tomatoey and tangy flavors.
Variations
Use fresh tomatoes – Replace the canned fire-roasted tomatoes with about 3 cups of chopped fresh ripe tomatoes, like plum tomatoes. Add Mexican spices – You can give the salsa a nice warmth with a pinch of cumin and/or chili powder. Balance it with sugar – If you like tomato salsa with a slightly sweeter taste, feel free to blend in 1 teaspoon of white sugar at a time until you reach the right balance. For more heat – Either leave the jalapeno seeds and veins intact or swap one or both of the jalapenos for spicy serrano peppers instead.
Storing
You can store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It also freezes well!
Want more dip recipes?
Vegan Queso Blanco Jalapeno Popper Dip Vegan Queso Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
