Utilizing tinned fire roasted tomatoes means you can whip up this
Mexican Restaurant Salsa in nothing flat for a fraction of the cost of prepared jarred salsa.
Recently I was in a simple Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant. You know the type. There were neon cervesa signs, dusty sombreros, and wilting pinatas on the walls. The food isn’t fancy, and it comes to us on sagging paper plates- but the authenticity is real, the food is delish and the price tag reasonable.
When we got there they plunked the required bowl of salsa and hot chips in a basket in the middle of the plastic clothed table. This was not the red tomatoey kind, nor was it a chunky pico de gallo either. It had a rich red color and a thick consistency, riddled with bits of peppers, onions and cilantro. From that moment on I endeavored to create and easy Mexican Restaurant Salsa.
To be honest I don’t make a lot of homemade salsa. There are some pretty fresh and tasty varieties out there and for a few bucks a jar I can stock up and forget about it. However it is not uncommon to have last minute friends stop over, and salsa and chips are a reliable crowd pleaser. The beauty of this recipe is I am pretty much guaranteed to have the ingredients on hand. So if they bowl starts to get low, or if the week has been salsa munching heavy- it’s good to have a reliable back up.
Start with a tin of fire roasted tomatoes
For the tomatoes I used a large tin of fire roasted tomatoes. I am more than happy to use non fresh tomatoes (especially when fresh ones around here are close to $4/pound, or more even!) There was a time that I would put up my nose as such a thing, but seriously, I got over that pretty quick. I really do like the taste, and the cost and ease are a no brainer.
The rest of the ingredients are pretty much kitchen staples with the exception of a jalapeno perhaps. As a back up you can rely on a generous pinch of cayenne and/or ancho chili powder.
The batch made about a quart of salsa for about $4 worth of ingredients. Which ounce for ounce is about 1/4 the price for some less than thrilling jarred stuff. Feel free to either half the recipe if needed, but my advice is to make a friend and give away a nice jar. Not a bad way to be a good amigo! Ole!
Ingredients
- 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno, rough chopped- seeds removed for less heat
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 cup cilantro, stems and leaves
- 1/2 cup red onion, rough chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
In either a blender of food processor combine the tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic and cumin. Blitz for 1 minute to break down the tomatoes and disperse the spices. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until you reach the desired consistency.
That's it!
Makes about 1 quart of salsa. Store in the fridge for up to one week.