Add brightly colored homemade salsa to your meals using this easy-to-follow salsa fresca recipe!
Salsa fresca – otherwise known as pico de gallo or fresh salsa – is a simple mixture of fresh ingredients that adds a real pop of bright flavor to whatever you serve it with!
The great thing about salsa is its versatility – you can customize just about every aspect of it to make it your own. This includes adding or subtracting ingredients to better suit your tastes, right down to adjusting the texture.
Whereas some people like to chop all the veggies as finely as possible, others prefer them to be nice and chunky, giving more of a crunch.
Spice things up
Although it is considered to be a spicy condiment, the beauty of homemade salsa is that you can make it with a heat level that suits you and your family.
If you don’t like spice at all, then just leave out the chili! If, on the other hand, you like to spice things up as much as possible, you could try swapping out the more traditional jalapeños for something with a bit more fire! Serrano chiles work well.
When adding chili to your salsa, cut off the stem and remove the seeds, then chop it finely. The seeds are where the heat come from, so unless you want the salsa to be super hot, it’s best to take them out.
How long can I store salsa fresca?
Once prepared, you can store your salsa in the refrigerator for around four to five days.
BUT… it is never quite as good when it has been stored, compared to how it tastes when freshly made. The texture is never quite the same and it can often seem quite ‘liquidy’.
If you want to make it ahead, you might be better off preparing and storing the ingredients separately, then mixing them all together when it’s time to eat!
What to serve with salsa?
Whilst the perfect accompaniment to Tex-Mex and Mexican recipes, salsa fresca is also delicious served as a topping on pizza, a side dish with fish, in your hot dogs, or as a meatloaf topping!
And if you love this recipe, why not try a tropical tasting mango salsa recipe too?
Salsa Fresca Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium whole Fresh Tomato
- 1/2 small Onion chopped
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 Small Green Chili Pepper diced (optional)
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1 pinch of Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves optional
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut the ‘core’ out of the tomatoes (in just the same way as you would hull strawberries).
- Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, then squeeze out most of the seeds and juice and discard them.
- Chop the tomatoes to the size you prefer (fine or chunky), then place them in a medium size bowl.
- Peel the onion, chop it finely, then add it to the tomato in the bowl.
- Peel the garlic, mince it and add it to the salsa. The flavor of the garlic is strong, so – unless you really like it – only use a small piece.
- Add the chili (if you like a little spice), then mix everything together thoroughly.
- Halve the lime and squeeze the juice over the salsa. Add a good sprinkle of salt, mix everything together and taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
- If using, stir in the fresh cilantro and serve at room temperature.