Fresh Tomato Salsa is a great way to use your garden tomatoes. After a little chopping, you'll be eating this fresh salsa with all your favorite foods!
I have never harvested so many tomatoes from my garden as I have this year. They are still coming! I brought in 6 large ones and a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes yesterday, and there are still lots of green ones!
I definitely can't eat them all fresh - if I tried, I would have been eating nothing but tomatoes for the past month at least. I have roasted and froze probably a good 20 pounds so far, and will probably roast at least another 4-6 more pounds.
But I do try to use them fresh when I can. After all, tomatoes are definitely at their best when they're picked fresh from the garden. A great way to to that is to make Fresh Tomato Salsa.
I never really used to like fresh tomato salsa. I often found it watery and bland. And to be honest, it just didn't taste like the salsa of my childhood (which always came from a jar).
But, I have learned to control the juiciness of the tomatoes to make a fresh-tasting salsa that is great on meat, eggs, or just with tortilla chips.
If you still have access to fresh, local tomatoes, I highly recommend making a batch (or 3) while you still can. It may not be a taste of fall, but it's a great way to ease yourself out of summer, slowly.
How to make Fresh Tomato Salsa
Making this fresh-tasting salsa is easy, requires a short ingredient list, and no special equipment. After a little light chopping, you will have a delicious salsa to add to your meal or dip your tortilla chips in.
The key to getting Fresh Tomato Salsa that is thick and flavorful, not watery, is do drain the tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes, toss them with a little salt, and set them in a colander to drain (put the colander over a bowl if you want to save the juice).
Once the tomatoes are drained, simply toss them with the remaining ingredients: minced onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper.
For the best flavor, let the salsa sit in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavors meld, and make sure to eat the salsa while it's fresh (within 2 days).
Fresh Tomato Salsa Ingredients
The ingredient list to make this delicious fresh salsa is short, and mostly comes from the garden or produce department:
- Tomatoes - It's easiest to use larger tomatoes rather than plum-sized ones or smaller. And for the most aesthetically pleasing salsa, I recommend choosing ones that are all the same color.
- Salt and pepper - to enhance the savory flavor of the tomatoes, consider using MSG-salt.
- Red onion - in a pinch, you could replace with yellow onion if needed.
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno pepper - remove the ribs of the jalapeno for a milder salsa.
- Lime juice - fresh-squeezed lime juice is best, but bottled will do in a pinch.
- Garlic
Want more Fresh Tomato recipes?
Fresh Tomato Salsa Nutrition Notes:
Fresh Tomato Salsa is almost calorie-free because there are no high-calorie additions (like sugar or oil) made to it. The only nutrition concern with this salsa is the sodium which can add up if you eat multiple servings. And of course what you're eating with your salsa - watch out for those high-fat, high-sodium tortilla chips!
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Equipment
- Colander or wire mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 4 medium tomatoes cored and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup minced red onion (about ½ small red onion)
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and finely minced (see note)
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Mix the chopped tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt in a small colander or a strainer (set the strainer over a bowl if you wish to save the juice for another use). Allow to drain for 15 minutes.
- Transfer tomatoes to a small bowl and toss with ½ cup minced red onion, ¼ cup minced cilantro, minced jalapeno, 1 Tablespoon lime juice, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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