Salsa Fresca
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 cups
- ¼small white or red onion, minced
- 1teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1pound fresh, ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 to 3jalapeño or serrano chiles, to taste, minced (and seeded, if you would like a milder salsa)
- 4tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, more to taste
- 1 to 3teaspoons fresh lime juice (optional)
- Salt to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
26 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 303 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Place minced onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes or longer. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir in onions. (If your tomatoes are full of flavor, you won’t need lime juice.) Ideally, let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before eating so that flavors will blend and ripen.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Bob Rugg
It took a long time to find the missing ingredient to my salsa...... add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. It binds the whole thing together.
Min.
I make this all the time during the summer and use watery tomatoes on purpose. When the salsa is almost gone and you've got a batch of spicy tomato water left behind, make pico marys or pico marias! Just add vodka or tequila. Rim the glass with salt if you like. Unbelievable!
Rob
It takes away some of the harsh "sulfur sting" of the onion flavor, and adding the vinegar gives them a gentle pickle. It's a short soak so the texture and major flavor components are preserved. Not all onions are created equal, and this helps level the playing field.
Sandy
Try adding a bit of olive oil.
vicki
Add a teaspoon of dried oregano. Shhhh....it's my secret ingredient!
lu bleveans
This salsa was punchier with the addition of a large grated garlic clove, a healthy dash of EVOO and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin for a tripled recipe. Plenty for a group of 12.
Kathleen C
For salsa lovers in the north who can't find decent winter tomatoes, I find that making this (or any) salsa with commercially purchased canned tomatoes works very well.
WeaselBookmite
If like me you carry the anti-cilantro gene, fresh Curley parsley is an excellent substitute
GazeboQueen
This may sound nutty, but give it a try: throw in the segments of one or two Clementine mandarin oranges. The sweet contrasts with the sour of the lime juice and vinegar. (I usually drop the red wine vinegar and go with all lime juice.) Served with yellow rice, it's divine!
Andrew
I did a mince of garlic, but grating it seems like a better idea. Generally, getting all the ingredients chopped more finely speeds along the integration of all those flavors. I hadn't thought about the gentle pickle of the vinegar, but I'm all for it now.
M
Perfect as written. Lazy cooks will also enjoy just cutting it all up and eating it with almost everything.
Marian V.
I made this with grape tomatoes because that it the only tomato you can find in Florida this time of year that has any taste. I used less jalapenos and more cilantro than called for. I added a shot of olive oil. It was delicious.
Janice Girard
Add a chopped tomatillo or green tomato, it will make everything more interesting.
Annie
We just wanted dip for chips, so threw it all in a food processor without soaking the onions with vinegar (figured they'd all soak together). Added a splat of oil as suggested. Went strong on lime. Went completely in a single night. Note that the processing whips in a bunch of air, so it won't look very red but will still taste :100: Am going to try with cumin and garlic this round.
Andrew
It's a fine point. With even mildly fresh ingredients, this is a win.
Ian
Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1/8 tsp sugar
Recipe mods
Picked the last of our late Summer cherry tomatoes from the garden, roasted 3 jalapeños on the BBQ and threw it all together. Vinegar soak for the onions and added the vinegar-onions to the mix. Dollop of olive oil. Cilantro. Lots of garlic. No lime juice. Great heat and wonderful fresh flavors.
Om_Shanti
I made this for a gathering and people laughed at me for not pressing the easy button ... until they ate it. I made a lot because it was a party and people took home small jars of it. This recipe will fully put you off of store bought. It's a keeper.
Michelle O
Circling back to this recipe for summer number two. I love the onion vinegar step. Instead of water, I add one ice cube.
MA
Hello , have ever tried to peel a kambocha squash?
Michelle O
Wasn’t sure how such a simple and basic recipe could have 5 stars over 700 ratings, but oh boy… this is a perfect recipe!! Have made it probably a dozen times this summer. Proportions are perfect. I like the trick of adding a dash of oil to bind it all together — also good without :)
next time
Ick. No to the red wine vinegar.
Brian
Great already, but I added a ripe peach cut into small chunks and found that added both a contrasting sweetness and some density.
ParisPieInTheSky
Amazing salsa! Note- 1/4 of a jalapeño was more than enough. More than that and my family (all of whom enjoy spice) would not have enjoyed it.
Angelina
I like to add a little cumin to mine.
Maureen
Very good. Good to add a tsp or so of olive oil.
Cheryl
Add mint and parsley!
me
7/5/22 Delicious! Pickled the onion in the juice of 1 whole lime instead of the water/vinegar Poured all of the onions with lime juice over the tomatoes 1 serrano pepper - minced added slug of olive oil
LKF
Add one tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add 2 tbsp of brown sugar. USe a whole vidalia onion. Use two chipotle chiles and an Ancho--both seeded Process in a food processor--onions and chiles, oil, salt and black pepper first. Reserve a tomato and chop it by hand. ADd the rest of the tomatoes to the food processor and pulse. ADd the hand chopped tomato to the final salsa.
Rachel Z.
Delicious! Used canned tomatoes, jalapeno-salt, went all in on the fresh lime juice and added zest, 1/4 bell pepper and plenty of cilantro.
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