Fresh Tomato Salsa – Easy to Make in a Hurry

Fresh Tomato Salsa – so easy to make when you suddenly crave a little taste of Mexicana…! Pull out your trusty old (or new!) chopper/food processor, and get ready to satisfy your snack attack in a hurry.

Tomato Salsa: addicting and quintessentially Mexican!

Walk into a Mexican restaurant and you get immediate gratification – a good-sized bowl of chips and fresh Tomato Salsa. You immediately attack it… and start munching on your chips with gusto as you browse the menu. You don’t really pay attention to how many chips you devour, do you? And…. before you know it, your server takes away your empty bowl of Salsa, cheerfully replacing it with a fresh bowl. You say thank you…. and keep going at it!

Of course, there are a great many ways to make a delicious Tomato Salsa – this one is super-easy to make… And.. because I suggest using fresh tomatoes, you gets lots of nutritional perks too!

Tomatoes – so tasty and so rich in micronutrients

Tomatoes, much-loved across the globe, are rich in a multitude of micronutrients. They contain all four major carotenoids, Vitamin C, folate, potassium… the list goes on! So go ahead, eat up: enjoy the great taste, knowing that you’re doing your body good!

Of course, in order for you to benefit from all the goodness tomatoes bring, one has to look a little closer. Cooking increases the absorption of all the carotenoids – so does a little bit of fat, because they are also fat-soluble.

So, does that mean those deliciously crunchy corn chips dunked into Salsa can actually help you absorb the good stuff from the tomatoes? Yup, it sure does!

But wait… Cooking can also destroy some of the other nutrients like folate and Vitamin C. In fact, because of the long simmering process traditionally used for making many tomato products (tomato paste, pasta sauce, ketchup, etc.), they have hardly any Vitamin C left!

How to get the most benefit from fresh tomatoes?

So…. How might one get the most benefit from fresh tomatoes? A simple, logical solution: include both raw as well as cooked tomatoes in your diet. And use the WHOLE tomato: skin, seeds and all!

The tomato skin is especially rich in nutrients, including powerful antioxidants such as flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol, etc.). Likewise, the seeds too are loaded: fiber, Vitamin C, etc. Also, the gel surrounding the seeds is believed to prevent blood clots and improve blood circulation. And just in case you’re wondering….no, tomato seeds do NOT cause kidney stones! That is a widely held notion that has been shown through much research to be a myth!

So… no, I never peel tomatoes, nor do I remove the seeds: I always try to use the whole tomato. Several years ago, I decided to experiment a little: to create a salsa recipe that checked all my boxes – great taste, great texture, great nutrition… and of course, great looks!

What do I do? I make the Salsa with a raw tomato-cooked tomato combination. I cook half the tomatoes in the microwave for just a couple of minutes. The short heating time keeps nutrient-loss to a minimum, while it significantly increases the bioavailability of the various phytonutrients (lycopene, beta-carotene, etc.). Then I simply pulse them in a chopper/food processor along with raw tomatoes. Now for the flavor: first, some simple seasonings and freshly squeezed lime juice for an extra boost of Vitamin C. Next up, a bit of chopped onion and cilantro for even more nutrients and great flavor, and that’s it! Fresh Tomato Salsa – at your service!

If you’re a Salsa lover (like me!), maybe you would also like to check out my Sweet and Spicy Mango Salsa recipe – it is super-easy as well. I have a special weakness for mangoes, and during mango season, I make it quite frequently.

Special Diets

This Salsa is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and oil-free.

Go ahead, chop up some tomatoes, a little onion, a few sprigs of cilantro – it takes just a few minutes. By the way, once you get a taste of this salsa, you might never want to buy another jar at the grocery store – no kidding! You could also make a bigger batch if you like – check Recipe Notes for details.

Serve it with tortilla chips for a quick and delicious snack, as well as with tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas…. a taste of Mexicana, indeed! Perhaps you’d like to try my easy to make Lentil Sprouts Quesadillas, for an Indo-Mex taste, where I spread this salsa on the tortillas before adding all the toppings.

Do leave a review and a star rating. Much appreciated!

Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa- Easy to Make in a Hurry

Chop tomatoes, green chillies, onions, cilantro and pickled jalapenos. Cook half the tomatoes in the microwave – 2 minutes on hi. Pulse in a chopper/food processor, along with remaining raw tomatoes and green chillies, to a slightly chunky texture. Add freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice, cumin powder, salt, pickled jalapenos, onions and cilantro. Stir to mix and serve with corn tortilla chips, enchiladas, tacos, etc. Enjoy!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Resting time to cool the tomatoes 3 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Condiment, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 people

Calories 23 kcal

Equipment

• Electric food chopper/food processor; if not available, a blender is OK – use pulse action to prevent over-grinding. Non-electric, manual food mill OK too.
• Microwave oven to cook the tomatoes; if not available, can do on the stove-top

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups Tomatoes – fully ripe, deep red preferred – chopped Roma – about 3-4 medium; other varieties, depends on size.
• 2 tbsp Onion – diced medium I prefer red onion, but any variety is fine; decrease or omit if using dried onion – see optional ingredients below
• 2 tbsp Cilantro – fresh, chopped Fresh coriander leaves; Hara Dhaniya, Kothimbir, Dhonay Paata; Unlike many herbs, dried cilantro has practically no flavor – I do not recommend using it; see Recipe Notes for substitutions
• 1/2 whole Fresh green Chilli pepper – chopped Adjust, based on the spiciness of the pepper and your taste preference. I use Serrano pepper in the US; de-seed if you wish
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder add a bit more if you like – about 1/4 tsp more
• 3/8 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference
• 2 tsp Lime/lemon juice – freshly squeezed if fresh lime/lemon is not available, bottled juice is OK – add more if you like after tasting the prepared salsa
• 2 tsp Pickled Jalapeno – chopped if not available, see Recipe Notes for substitution ideas
• 1 tsp "Pickle juice" – pickling liquid from pickled Jalapenos if not available: use 1 tsp rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar instead; also OK to omit if no vinegar is available; add extra lime/lemon juice instead
• 1 tsp Garlic – minced (optional) 1-2 small- medium cloves; if not available, use 1/8 tsp garlic powder (or a bit more if you like)

Optional ingredients – to adjust consistency of Salsa

• 1 tsp Tomato paste I use this only if the Salsa is too watery; see Recipe Notes for details
• 2 tsp Dried onion – chopped /minced I use this only if the salsa is too watery – see Recipe Notes for details

Instructions

 

• Chp tomatoes – medium dice; divide into 2 portions, 3/4 cup each
  
• Transfer one portion of diced tomatoes to a microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowl – a cereal bowl works well. Microwave on hi for 2-3 min, uncovered. cooking without a cover allows some moisture to evaporate as it cooks.

  For stove-top cooking:

  Place in a shallow frying pan (non-stick or stainless steel – do not use ucoated aluminum pan – the tomatoes react with the metal) and cook on medium heat 5-7 min, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until tomatoes look soft and cooked. Do not cover while cooking to allow some moisture to evaporate as it cooks.

  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, prep everything else: squeeze juice from lime/lemon, chop green chilli pepper
  
• Chop pickled Jalapenos
  
• About 6-7 slices should be sufficient
  
• Chop onions – medium dice
  
• Rinse and chop cilantro; it's OK to use some tender stems along with the leaves
  
• Place cooled tomatoes in food chopper or processor; add chopped green chilli pepper and pulse a few times till fairly smooth – a little texture is fine.
  
• Add remaining portion of chopped tomatoes (uncooked) and pulse-chop again to Salsa consistency. I like a little texture in Salsa so I don't grind to a fine puree.
  
• Transfer to a bowl – the one in which you cooked the tomatoes works fine. Add salt, lemon juice and cumin powder; stir to mix.
  
• Add chopped onions, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and pickle juice. Stir to mix. Taste test to adjust flavors and texture.

  Note:

  If Salsa looks too watery, add some tomato paste/puree. See Recipe Notes for details.
  
• Serve it up with crunchy tortilla chips, as well as with Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, etc.
  
• Salsa and Chips
  
• Enjoy!
  

Notes

If you don’t have pickled Jalapenos:

Here are some substitutions you might make:

• Use pickled Pepperoncini, banana pepper rings, or other pickled peppers
• Omit pickled peppers and simply use more fresh green chillies to get the spiciness you want
• Omit pickled peppers and use 1/4 tsp ground cayenne (red chilli powder) instead
• Chop 1 tbsp fresh Jalapeno, add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp water; mix , cover and microwave for 1 min on hi;  stir in 1 tsp distilled white vinegar, cover and set aside for 15-20 min.
  • If fresh Jalapeno is not available, use any fresh green chilly available
    • adjust the amount of fresh green chillies, based on spiciness: Jalapenos are medium spicy, so 1 tbsp of pickled Jalapenos (as per given recipe) is not super-spicy
    • Indian Pakoda chilly is not super spicy, and can be used much like Jalapenos
    • Fresh Hatch Chile, Banana Pepper, etc., can be used much like Jalapenos

 

If you don’t have fresh Cilantro:

• Use 2-3 tsp dried parsley instead – it will add a bit green color, without really changing the flavor much
  • make sure the dried parsley has a good color – the color of “old” dried parsley is not very attractive
  • Fresh parsley has a strong flavor that is rather from cilantro – I personally don’t like to use it, but you could try it if you wish.
• Use the green tops from 1-2 spring onions – slice thinly with a smooth-edged sharp knife – a serrated knife will bruise the sliced edges and mar its appearance.
  • if you wish, use the whole spring onion- white, light green and dark green parts, and omit the chopped onion completely – the white and light green parts will provide a similar flavor.

 

If your Salsa looks too watery:

• Collect some of the watery “juice” and mix with a little tomato paste/puree – and stir the mixture back into the salsa.
  • store-bought tomato paste/puree is fine (preferably from a glass jar, rather than in a metal can)
    • Paste: use about 1-2 tsp
    • Puree: use about 1 tbsp
      • tomato puree is typically thinner than paste, so need more
        
• Use 2-3 tsp dried chopped/minced onion instead of fresh onion and allow the salsa to rest for at least 20-30 min, to allow the dried onion to soak up the watery juices.

 

Storing leftovers:

Store leftover Salsa in the refrigerator. I do NOT recommend storing it in the freezer – I don’t like the texture after it thaws.

• Use refrigerated Salsa within 3-4 days
  • Great if you wish to “do-ahead” for serving to a larger crowd –
    • Make it up to about 24 hours in advance, to retain most flavor
      • NOTE: When making ahead, do not add onion or cilantro until ready to serve.
• If it starts to look moldy, or smells “off”, discard.
  • Be especially mindful during hot summer days, particularly if the Salsa has been sitting out for several hours already – it can spoil easily.
    • If you wish, you can pop the leftover salsa in the microwave for a couple of min, then cool and store in the refrigerator. 
      • Use it up in a soup, sauce or curry within a couple of days.
      • Spread the “cooked” Salsa on a flour tortilla when making quesadillas or Mexican Pizza

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 23kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 296mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 823IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cilantro, fresh green chilli, Fresh Tomatoes, lime, Pickled Jalapenos

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