How to make your own authentic, fast, easy and healthy Mexican salsa at home. Two basic and mild salsa recipes using the same ingredients.
The word salsa can mean two things, the Latin dance called salsa or a sauce served with foods. Savory Mexican food without salsa would be like eating an ice cream sundae without the chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Though the ice cream sundae would still taste good, it would feel incomplete and it wouldn’t be the same experience. The same would apply to eating a taco, burrito, quesadilla or any savory Mexican dish. The taste would still be great but would be missing that additional flavors and textures that a salsa would add to the dish.
Whether you are enjoying your Mexican food at your local Mexican restaurant or at a Mexican person’s home, you will always see or be offered a variation of salsas. The cuisine of Mexico is vast and unique and can differ region to region and home to home.
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There are countless variations of salsa and they can all vary again depending on the region and the home. But everyone can learn to make fresh, healthy delicious and nutritious Mexican salsa in a matter of minutes. Once you learn how to make your own fresh salsas you will taste the difference and be turned off by the tomato paste tasting commercial salsas.
The key to delicious Mexican salsas is fresh ingredients. If you are starting with fresh ingredients you really can’t go wrong and your salsa will have great results. It is also the use of fresh vegetables that makes these salsas healthy and nutritious. I’m going to show you how to make two different salsas with the same ingredients.
The first recipe is for a chunky salsa called Salsa Mexicana (also know as Pico de Gallo) and the second is a blended and smooth tomato salsa. Both of the recipes yield a mild salsa suitable for all levels of spicy tolerance. You can easily adjust the amount of chile peppers for a milder or hotter salsa to yield the perfect salsa for your individual taste.
Salsa Mexicana (aka Pico de Gallo) recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4 roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 hot pepper (fresh Jalapeno or fresh Serrano chile), finely chopped
- 1 large handful of chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Large mixing bowl
To serve: bowl or traditional Mexican molcajete (mortar and pestle set).
Instructions:
Place the finely chopped tomato, onion, cilantro and chile pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix the ingredients until well combined. Next pour the lime juice over the vegetables. Mix the spices in a separate bowl then sprinkle over the ingredients in the bowl. Gently mix all of the salsa ingredients until the spices are well distributed. Place the salsa in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before serving. Before serving transfer to a molcajete or serve in a bowl.
Easy blended tomato Mexican Salsa recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4 roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- 1 hot pepper (fresh Jalapeno or fresh Serrano chile), roughly chopped
- 1 large handful of cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- blender and bowl to serve
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until you have a smooth salsa. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serve in a decorative Mexican molcajete or a bowl.
Both of these salsas can be served with chips for dipping or used as a topping. You can use both salsas to top tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, or any Mexican meat dish of your choice.
Tips:
If you are still intimidated by the chiles in this recipe you can try the following substitutions.
- Omit the fresh chiles and use a small amount of red chile powder or spicy paprika
- Omit the fresh chiles and substitute with finely chopped bell peppers. This will yield a very mild salsa.
- If fresh limes are not available use lemon for a slightly tart salsa.
- Experiment with other fresh chiles for different variations of these salsas.
