How to make classic homemade salsa

A simple homemade salsa which zings with fresh flavours and can be used as a dip or to perk up so many dishes. Only 27 calories per portion.

Classic Salsa

A classic salsa is a simple side or dip, but it may be something you've never made at home before.

It's hard to explain how much the flavours in a fresh tomato salsa zing compared to the ones you buy in a supermarket, which can be good but are often overwhelmed with a tomato sauce or a really sugary flavour.

Salsa should zing with the fresh flavours of tomatoes, red onion and garlic, a tang from the lime and a subtle hint or a real hit of heat from chilli, depending on how you like it.

Good quality tomatoes

To make a good salsa with lots of flavour you need ripe, good quality tomatoes. Like many other recipes, the better the ingredients, the better the final dish.

With something like a stew or soup you can get away with using cheap ingredients that may not be the best quality, but for a fresh dish like salsa, you really want to buy the best tomatoes. It will really improve the flavour.

You can use little cherry tomatoes or larger salad tomatoes to a make salsa, just make sure they are ripe and full of flavour.

Tomatoes are the one thing I don't mind paying more to buy organic as the difference in flavour can be amazing.

Ever been passed a warm, ripe tomato straight from a greenhouse vine? If you have, you know the flavour that I'm talking about.

Tomato tip

Tomatoes can lose a lot of flavour if they're kept in the fridge.

Salad tomatoes and beef tomatoes or any larger style tomato are best kept in a bowl on your kitchen windowsill, where they'll continue to ripen and develop a fuller, richer flavour.

Small tomatoes like cherry tomatoes are best kept in the fridge as they have a shorter shelf life and are likely to go mouldy quite quickly if they're left out in a bowl. 

To get the best flavour from cherry tomatoes and other mini varieties, keep them in the fridge, then bring them out ahead of eating them to let them lose the chill and come to room temperature

also try - Best Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

How to serve salsa

Salsa makes a fabulous dip for nachos, but there's so much more you can do with it.

1. Top bean burgers
2. Top hot dogs
3. Use as a dip for potato wedges
4. Serve on bruschetta
5. Serve over grated cheese (veggie or vegan) in a baked potato
6. Mix with plain yoghurt (veggie or vegan) and use as a baked potato filling
7. Serve in a grilled cheese sandwich
8. Bake a pepper with a savoury rice mix, then load with salsa before serving
9. Serve in a taco bowl - cooked rice topped with beans or chilli, then topped with salsa and slices of ripe avocado
10. Sprinkle over tomato soup before serving instead of croutons
11. Spoon over quesadillas and enchiladas before serving
12. Top spaghetti bolognese with a generous heap of salsa instead of cheese
13. Mix it through freshly made couscous or bulgur wheat for a tasty lunch
14. Serve in a wrap with salad and grated cheese or cream cheese
15. Top veggie chilli with salsa for a fresh finish

also try - Sheet Pan Vegetable Fajitas 

M&S Meat-Free BBQ

The Mexican Hot Dog

I recently created some recipes for the Marks and Spence lifestyle pages in a post about hosting a meat-free barbecue.

I created tandoori potatoes, pizza stuffed mushrooms, which you will have seen on my blog this week and a selection of three pimped hot dogs. The Mexican Dog, the Chipotle & Blue Cheese Dog and the New York Deli Dog. They are all vegetarian and can be easily made vegan (except for the blue cheese, skip that).

For the Mexican Dog, I spread hot hot buns with mayo (you can use my recipe for vegan mayo), topped them with a veggie sausage, them piled them high with fresh salsa a sprinkling of sweetcorn and finished them off with some crumbled feta (Violife do a good vegan version of Greek cheese) and some sprigs of fresh coriander. 

So, so good. I urge you to try these. Making your own salsa first of course.

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Related - Homemade Puy Lentil & Mushroom Sausages

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Low calorie dip

You can add a glug of olive oil to your salsa for a more luxurious feel, but I decided to cut down on the calories and fat and keep it fresh, letting the flavours sing.

One portion (a quarter of this recipe) has just 27 calories and no saturated fat, so it is perfect if you are watching your weight as I am or if you are following a calorie controlled diet like the 5:2 diet.

For more 5:2 diet or lower calorie ideas and recipes, check out my 5:2 diet page which also contains information on the updated 5:2 diet which allows more calories than the original diet.

Also follow my Pinterest board 5:2 Diet - Veggie & Vegan.

pin it for later

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dip

Mexican

Yield: 4Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Homemade classic salsa

A simple homemade salsa which zings with fresh flavours and can be used as a dip or to perk up so many dishes.

prep time: 7 minscook time: total time: 7 mins

ingredients

• 3 large ripe salad tomatoes
• ½ large red onion
• ½ green chilli (more if you would like it hotter)
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of half a large lime or 1 small lime
• A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)
• A pinch of salt

instructions

1.         Cut the tomatoes in half. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then chop the tomatoes finely and place in a large bowl. 
2.       Finely chop the red onion, chilli and fresh coriander and add to the bowl.       
3.      Crush the garlic and add it to the other ingredients with the lime juice and salt, then mix well.
4. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
5. Enjoy!

calories
27

fat (grams)
0.2

sat. fat (grams)
0

carbs (grams)
6.1

protein (grams)
1.2

sugar (grams)
3.3

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Mexican Sweet Potato and Puy Lentil Mole

If you like my fresh homemade salsa, you may also like another of my Mexican dishes. My Mexican Sweet Potato and Puy Lentil Mole. A Mexican style chilli made with sweet potatoes, carrots, puy lentils and a rich sauce deepened with dark chocolate.