Homemade Salsa

Whether you’re searching for a last-minute party app or the finishing touch to a Mexican-inspired dinner, we highly recommend adding some homemade salsa to your spread. While you may be tempted to grab a jar from the store, trust us—making it homemade is not only worthwhile in the flavor department, but also couldn’t be easier to create and customize to your tastes. This medium-spiced, slightly chunky salsa takes advantage of fresh, in-season tomatoes (though you can enjoy it year-round) and packs in heaps of flavor by roasting some additional veggies to add to the mix. No matter what salsa camp you fall into—chunky vs. smooth, spicy vs. mild—we’ve got all the top tips here to make simple, fresh salsa right at home, just how you like it:

What are the best tomatoes to use for salsa?
To make our salsa as flavorful as possible, we use a combination of cherry and off-the-vine tomatoes. We prefer to use fresh tomatoes when possible because they taste brighter and provide a better overall texture. That said, if it's the dead of winter and juicy, red tomatoes are nowhere to be found, you can use canned. If using canned, make sure you pick one with no added ingredients, and drain the tomatoes of their juices before using.

Tips for making the best salsa:
— Roast your ingredients. Here at Delish, we are firm believers that everything tastes better after it’s been roasted, and that’s why we opted to roast a few of our salsa ingredients. It brings out the flavors of the jalapeños, deeply sweetens the cherry tomatoes, and takes away some of the pungency of the onion, giving it a more caramelized flavor.
— Use a food processor. Using a food processor is optional but highly recommended. It's the easiest and fastest way to blend all of the ingredients together. A blender can also work, but we would recommend either working in batches or stopping to stir a few times so that the bottom doesn't become pure liquid! Chopping all of your vegetables by hand takes a bit of time, but you can also do that for more of a pico de gallo-style salsa if you prefer!
— Adjust the spice. This salsa is only at a medium heat, but if you want it less spicy you can opt for only one jalapeño or none at all. If you want it even spicier, leave some seeds in with the jalapeños or trade them out for a habanero or serrano chile.

Serving ideas:
There're endless ways to use this versatile salsa. Some of our favorite ways: Use it to whip up some chilaquiles, spoon it over fried eggs, pile on top of your Chipotle burrito bowl with homemade guac, or serve with homemade tortilla chips.

Storing salsa:
Once made, fresh salsa will last for about a week tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!