Growing up in Minnesota, I didn’t eat a lot of spicy food. I ate a lot of meat and potatoes seasoned with good ol’ salt and pepper — no fancy herbs and spices. Honestly, that’s still my kind of comfort food, but I have to confess that I have become a Mexican food lover during my 20 years here in the great state of Texas.
My favorite Mexican fare? Chips and salsa….a staple that is put in front of you at your favorite Mexican joint while you wait for the main course…which I end up bringing home in a doggie bag because I’ve eaten way too many chips! Am I the only one who does that?!
I crave chips and salsa weekly, and my husband is a big fan of dousing his eggs in hot sauce so we always have a jar of salsa in our fridge. But, you don’t have to settle for store bought. Did you know that making your own salsa is super easy and fast?
Keep in mind as you make your own, that the quantities of each ingredient are really a matter of taste. Play with it and you’ll come up with a combination that you love!
Here’s my recipe for easy homemade salsa:
- 1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
- 2 whole fresh tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-4 T fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 1-2 jalapenos (fresh or from jar)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. Cumin (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper (optional --- I add this for my husband because he likes his salsa HOT)
- Using a food processor, pour in the drained tomatoes.
- Core the fresh tomatoes and slice into large wedges and place in to food processor.
- Slice onion into large wedges and place in to food processor.
- Mince or chop garlic and put in food processor.
- Pick cilantro leaves off of stems and add to food processor.
- Chop off top of jalapeno and put in food processor seeds and all. (The seeds make it hot, so if you don't like it hot, remove seeds and clean out the inside of the jalapeno.
- Add seasonings
- When all ingredients are added to food processor, begin to combine by pulsing about 5 -10 times. Then fully process and combine the mixture until desired consistency.
- ** Sample your salsa with chips and adjust as necessary according to taste. If you like cilantro, add more cilantro. If you like it hot, add more jalapenos or Cayenne pepper.
- ***Note...I have noticed that my salsa gets hotter the longer it has time to sit and marry with the jalapenos. Also, your salsa will only be as hot as the peppers themselves...some are very hot and others are mild. Adjust your quantities accordingly.
I love cilantro, so to me, adding more cilantro is what makes this salsa so flavorful and delicious. Also, it’s important that you use white onions instead of yellow. They add more bite and aren’t as mild as a yellow onion.
Do you like hot sauce as much as I do? Have you ever made your own? What’s your magic ingredient? Do share!
Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
This looks delicious….I love homemade salsa, thanks for sharing your recipe.
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