Easy Fresh Salsa

In case you didn’t know it, salsa is a staple condiment in every Mexican kitchen. But you probably knew that already. Everyone has their own preference of brand they like, or method of making it, but no matter how much work or amount of heat that goes into a salsa, NOTHING beats a fresh batch. The freshness of a salsa cruda such as the one I’m sharing today, packs so much flavor with such basic ingredients that you could very well end up putting it on (almost) everything you eat. It’s so refreshing! The best part – there’s no cooking required, and it can be done in less that ten minutes.  No joke.

If you’ve ever made a salsa before, then you know there are countless variations of making it.  Also, you may have run into a common problem that many of us face.  Too much acid from the tomatoes, chiles, and lemon! It’s super easy to get carried away with the lemon and chiles and end up with a salsa that gives you instant heartburn on the first bite. One simple trick to bringing down the acidity level (this also applies to many other acidic recipes as well) is to add a sugar or fat component. That’s it! It doesn’t take much.

What you need to remember is to keep savory with savory, and sweet with sweet (in most cases). A good example for an acidic dessert recipe (think lemon bars) would be to add a little more sugar if it’s still too sour. In the case of a highly acidic savory salsa, a little bit of extra virgin olive oil will serve well. Also worth noting is the importance of a resting period.  You can enjoy a freshly made salsa as soon as you are done putting it together, but just like a hearty pasta meal, it tastes even better the next day.  So give it a few hours to rest in the fridge if you can. But you don’t have to.

Let’s begin.

In a food processor or blender, mince the onion, garlic, and jalapeño with the lid on using the pulse button option until finely chopped.

I usually give it two or three 4-second pulses.

Open the food processor and push down any pieces that are stuck to the walls of the bowl.

Add the quartered tomatoes, then the cilantro. When you add the cilantro, it’s best to chop it first so that it all blends well with tomato.  If it’s too crowded, some of the cilantro will get stuck at the top if it’s not chopped and you’ll have to open it, untangle it, and blend again.  Too much blending/chopping can make it turn into a tomato sauce, so pulse in short intervals to keep an eye on it.

Add the salt, lemon juice, and olive oil, and pulse another 2 or 3 seconds just to mix them into the salsa well.

Remove the blade attachment, stir it all with a spoon, and pour it into a serving bowl.

Have it on eggs, toast with acovado, tacos, or good ‘ol chips and beer.

Related Recipe: 5-Minute Breakfast Tacos

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Easy Fresh Salsa

Prep Time 7 minutes

Total Time 7 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Stephanie Chavez

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white onion roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 jalapeño quartered, seeds and stem removed
• 5 roma tomatoes quartered
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a food processor or blender, mince the onion, garlic, and jalapeño with the lid on using the pulse button option until finely chopped. I usually give it two or three 4-second pulses. Open the food processor and push down any pieces that are stuck to the walls of the bowl.
2. Add the quartered tomatoes, then the cilantro. When you add the cilantro, it’s best to chop it first so that it all blends well with tomato. If it’s too crowded, some of the cilantro will get stuck at the top and you’ll have to open it, untangle it, and blend again.
3. Add the salt, lemon juice, and olive oil, and pulse another 2 or 3 seconds just to mix them into the salsa well. Remove the blade attachment, stir it all with a spoon, and pour it into a serving bowl.

Recipe Notes

Too much blending/chopping can make it turn into a tomato sauce, so pulse in short intervals to keep an eye on it. If you like a spicier salsa, add some of the seeds from the jalapeño.