Ok let’s be real here, salsa is amazing. My favorite is a simple tomato salsa with a good kick. I do love a nice green salsa too, but it doesn’t hold a candle to a classic red. In the past I always bought the jarred stuff and raved about the glorious-ness that is table salsa at a restaurant. Every so often I’d make my own but I didn’t usually want to put in the work. Well, now I know that Costco has cans of organic diced tomatoes by the box so I make the stuff once or twice a week. It’s all done in a food processor with very little cleanup. Here’s the recipe I use:

• 2 – 14.5oz cans of diced tomato (or 3 cups if cutting up your own)
• 2 jalapeños
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic
• A handful of cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

The first step is to roast the jalapeños. Stick a fork in the end and rotate them over the stove until the entire skin is completely blackened. It takes a little while but really enhances the flavor and is so worth it. Lay down a damp paper towel and put the jalapeños on it, then cover with a bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes so they can steam. After steaming, the skin will easily scrape off with a fork or knife. You don’t want to eat this part so just throw it out. Cut the peppers in half and scrape out the seeds and with the white pulp they’re attached to. Save them, as this is how you make it spicy. Most of the spice in a jalapeño comes from the stuff in the center. Just putting the flesh in will hardly give you a mild salsa, but if you put them both in whole with all the seeds it’ll be really spicy!

Now all the ingredients are prepared and it’s time to blend it up. To keep the tomatoes a little chunky, I like to put everything else in the processor first and give it all a good spin. Then just throw in the tomatoes and a bit of seeds with pulp and after a few more spins you’ll have fresh, delicious salsa!

Tips: Start slow with the jalapeño insides, it can quickly get insanely hot. A few batches ago I had to open a third can of tomato just to tame it down. Also, depending on how sweet the tomatoes are, sometimes a half teaspoon or so of sugar is needed to give a hint of sweetness.

Have you ever made your own salsa? If so what other ingredients do you use? I love my recipe but sometimes I think of changing it up but don’t know where to go from here. Please feel free to ask any questions! I make this stuff all the time and I’d love to help you make it for yourself!