Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Ro-Tel)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
- 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, stems removed (remove seeds for milder salsa)
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the tomatoes: Open your can of whole tomatoes and pour off about half the juice into the sink. You want some liquid for blending, but not so much that your salsa becomes watery. Set aside.
- Prepare your vegetables: Roughly chop the onion into large chunks—no need to dice finely since the food processor will do the work. Remove the stems from the jalapeños. If you want mild salsa, slice them in half and scrape out the seeds and white membranes. For spicier salsa, leave the seeds in. Peel your garlic cloves. Roughly chop the cilantro, including the tender stems.
- Add ingredients to food processor: Place the drained whole tomatoes, the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (with all its liquid), chopped onion, jalapeños, garlic cloves, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper into your food processor.
- Pulse to desired consistency: Pulse the mixture 5-10 times, using short 1-2 second pulses, until you reach your preferred consistency. For chunkier salsa, pulse fewer times. For smoother salsa, pulse more. Avoid running the processor continuously or you’ll end up with salsa soup. The goal is a slightly chunky texture with visible pieces of tomato and onion.
- Taste and adjust: Transfer to a bowl and taste your salsa. Add more salt if needed, more lime juice for brightness, or another jalapeño for heat. Remember, flavors will meld and intensify as it sits, so don’t over-season initially.
- Rest and serve: For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry together. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and watch it disappear!
Notes
- For the freshest flavor, make this salsa the day you plan to serve it, though it keeps well for up to 5 days refrigerated.
- The heat level can vary depending on your jalapeños. Start with one pepper, taste, and add more if desired.
- If your salsa seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water. If it’s too thin, drain off some liquid or add another fresh tomato.
- For a smokier flavor, use fire-roasted canned tomatoes.
- This recipe doubles easily for large gatherings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 25
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg