Fresh Homemade Salsa is easy and delicious. It is made with flavorful tomatoes, cilantro, onions, jalapeños, and garlic.

Easy Healthy Salsa

It doesn't get any better than this! This salsa is packed with flavor, gorgeously colored, and so simple to make! It is a perfect choice for a quick snack or a party dish. Are you looking for another tasty appetizer? Check out my Marinated Mushrooms!

There are some foods that have the ability to take you back to a certain moment! You can clearly remember where you were and who you were with. This flavorful, fresh salsa can do just that. The first time that I tasted it, I was sitting at our picnic table, hanging out with our cousins from California. We don't get to see them often, so any time together is always exciting.

In addition to the good company, we are also sure to always have delicious food around. On this particular day, Jeanette ran to the store to get the ingredients for her famous salsa she had been talking about. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. First of all, I had to wait a second before taking the first bite to appreciate how beautiful it was. All those natural colors together was a gorgeous site. But it all happened with the first bite. It was fresh, cool, and packed with flavor. At that moment, I knew I would never buy store-bought again!

About Salsa

In its simplest form, salsa is chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro flavored with herbs, spices and lime juice. Because it’s such a minimalist dish, it’s extremely versatile and can be served raw or cooked and can be used as a dip, sauce, ingredient or condiment.

Did you know the word “salsa” in Spanish is a generic term for any type of sauce? However, when we use the world in English, we mean the tomato and pepper recipe used on Tex-Mex cuisine like tacos, burritos and, of course, with tortilla chips.

There are two main types of salsa that are popular worldwide. 

Red sauce is cooked tomatoes, chili peppers, onion, garlic and fresh cilantro. 

Salsa cruda is uncooked chopped tomatoes, onions, chiles and cilantro.

While the most popular type of salsa is tomato-based, you can also make salsa without tomatoes. This would be other types of fruit, corn or even black beans.

How Do You Thicken Up Homemade Salsa?

Sometimes you can end up with watery salsa and you definitely don’t want that. Here are a couple quick tips for thickening up your fresh homemade salsa.

Cooked Salsa

If you’re cooking your salsa a common fix is adding cornstarch, adding about one tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of salsa. Add equal parts water to cornstarch and stir to create a paste before adding it to the salsa.

Whisk the cornstarch paste into the salsa, stirring constantly while it heats for up to one minute. Bring the salsa to a boil for no longer than one minute before bringing it back down to a simmer.

Uncooked Salsa

When you’re dealing with uncooked salsa, you want to make sure you’re using firm, young tomatoes since the firmer your tomato the thicker the salsa.

If you suspect your tomatoes are going to weep too much liquid, take a few extra minutes before you mix your ingredients to remove the seeds. To do this, chop your tomatoes into quarters and use a paring knife to cut the pulp away from the flesh.

Once your salsa has marinated, any liquid will sink to the bottom of your bowl. If you notice this and want to drain it, you can! Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and drain the salsa until it hits your desired texture.

What is a Healthy Substitute for Tortilla Chips?

It may feel like the only great pairing for fresh homemade salsa is tortilla chips but there are so, so many more options.

If you’re looking to swap the old familiar chips and salsa for something a bit more health conscious, consider these substitutes.

Use salsa as a dip: you may be wondering what else you can dip into salsa aside from tortilla chips. Start with a slight substitution: vegetable chips. Then if you want to take it a step further, move to raw veggies like celery, carrots and cucumbers.

Use salsa as an ingredient: salsa goes great with burritos and other Tex-Mex cuisine. Also consider adding it to your next rice burrito bowl or slow cooker chicken. In North America, salsas are regularly used in cooking marinades, stews, soups and even salad dressings.

Use salsa as a topping: alright, salsa literally goes with anything. Think savory, think salty or even meaty. And salsa definitely goes with fresh salad. Seriously, try it.

Use salsa as a condiment: while using salsa as a condiment on your burritos, tamales or tacos may seem second nature, also think about pairing it with pizza or even baked potatoes!

This homemade salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes is easy, delicious, and has all the fresh flavors that will have you wanting more. Check out my recipe below and enjoy!

Ingredients for Fresh Homemade Salsa

• tomatoes
• cilantro
• white onion
• jalapeños
• garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper
• lime

How to make Easy Healthy Salsa

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 
If you prefer chunkier salsa, just allow to sit for about 10 minutes and serve.
If you choose to, you can put everything in a blender to create a thinner consistency.
Salsa can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

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