WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Tomato-based salsa fresca (or salsa cruda) accompanies a wide variety of Mexican dishes; it’s treated more like a relish than a sauce or a dip and can be served with chicken, seafood, burritos, and more. We set out to create our own version of this versatile, chunky, brightly flavored salsa. We first drained diced tomatoes in a colander. We layered the other ingredients on top of the tomatoes while they drained and then simply stirred everything together in a bowl. We finished the salsa with lime juice (which tasted more authentic than lemon juice), salt, and sugar.
MAKES: about 3 cups
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 large jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeds reserved, and minced
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander and let them drain for 30 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are draining, layer the chopped red onion, cilantro, minced jalapeño, and minced garlic on top of the tomatoes in the colander.
- Shake the colander to remove any excess juice, then transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons of lime juice.
- Add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds to the bowl if you want to increase the heat.
- Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and additional lime juice to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
NOTE:
- This salsa is best eaten fresh and can be served with tortilla chips, as a topping for tacos, or as a side dish for grilled meats
