The Salsa
Obviously, as evidenced by the fact that I write a FOOD BLOG, I am a fan of homemade goods. I make macarons for fun on Saturday nights. I spend entire winter weekends folding, rolling, and chilling homemade croissant dough. I order Everything seasoning online and make bagels at home! Donuts fried on my stovetop! Friends---I have zested and steeped lemon and lime zest in simple syrup for over 8 hours just to make a super fresh margarita! You get the picture. Without a doubt all of these things are unequivocally better if made at home.
Admittedly, all these things are also kind of a pain in the ass for those who aren’t obsessed with a good kitchen project. I get it. You have to really love cooking and baking projects to happily bust out your dedicated kitchen ruler (it’s a thing) when cutting croissants after 24 hours of attention. So when you see me spouting off about how GOOD The Salsa is, it’s ok for you to roll your eyes a bit at yet another weird homemade good-- but please believe me when I say that once you have The Salsa recipe in your arsenal, you will never buy another jar of salsa at the store.
I came across a version of this recipe (among many) on Pinterest years ago and casually pinned it and eventually tried it. Obviously it made an impression. I’ve shared the recipe (which is a loose term because it’s so damn easy) with friends and eventually we just started calling it “The Salsa.”
The Salsa falls somewhere between the freshness of a pico de gallo and a jar of salsa. It’s uncannily similar to what you get at your favorite local Mexican restaurant. It’s semi-homemade, it’s fresh, it’s cheap, it’s customizable, it comes together in less than 5 minutes! It makes a ton. I have not bought a jar of salsa in YEARS friends. YEARS!
If you have 5 minutes to spare and some delicious tortilla chips that need a friend, please make The Salsa and forever have your (salsa consuming) life changed!
The Salsa
Makes 1 qt
Ingredients
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can original Rotel
½ medium sized white onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno*, stemmed and seeded depending on your desire fo’ fire
Handful of cilantro, very roughly chopped
The juice of half a lime
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
*For a smokier take, plop a chipotle in there. Also delicious!
Method
Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pulse to combine and continue pulsing until the texture is the desired consistency. Pour salsa into container (a wide mouth Ball Quart size jar fits it perfectly). The Salsa will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but I bet it won’t last that long. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and a beverage!
