Homemade Salsa (oil free & vegan)
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This easy to make Homemade Salsa recipe uses just a few ingredients and the use of a food processor to help get it made in a matter of minutes!
Customize it to your liking (aka – if you don’t like cilantro, don’t use it, if you do like it then leave the recipe alone!).
It’s also kid approved, which is saying a lot coming from my home with 2 picky eaters in it. So make it and enjoy the fact that veggies are getting into bellies!
Salsa Ingredients
Roma Tomatoes: You can use whichever tomatoes you have on hand. But you can’t make this recipe without them. I like using roma tomatoes because they’re easily accessible and affordable where I live.
Diced Tomatoes: Yep, we use two different tomatoes in this recipe, fresh and canned. If you can’t get canned, then double the amount of fresh, and you may consider roasting some for a better flavor!
Red Onion: Red, white, yellow, shallots, any of those types of onions can be used for this recipe. I prefer using red because it tastes the best raw and adds more color to the salsa. More color (when it comes to fruits and veggies) means more nutrients (or varied nutrients)!
Garlic: If you hate the taste of garlic, then feel free to omit or add less. I love garlic, and it has so many health benefits, I may end up using more than what’s suggested on occasion.
Jalapeno: Jalapenos are a classic salsa ingredient and do not make this salsa too spicy. Just be sure not to add any seeds to the processor – the seeds are the spiciest part. Also be sure to wear gloves when removing the seeds.
But, if I can add a jalapeno to my salsa and not have my eyes water from spiciness, then it’s not too spicy (I can’t handle the heat when it comes to spicy foods – so if you love spicy foods, feel free to add more than one jalapeno).
Cilantro: You either love it or hate it, right? My husband hates it. But unless you get a leaf or chunk of it stuck in your teeth while eating this, it’s not really that noticeable. If you hate it then omit it.
Lime Juice: You can use fresh limes for the juice, or buy lime juice from the store and use that. It gives the salsa a bit more acid.
Sugar: Sugar does the opposite of lime juice and helps calm down the acid in this recipe. If you’re trying to eat a whole food plant-based diet, then feel free to omit the sugar.
Cumin: Cumin is a mild spice, I like to think of it as calming down ingredients, rather than spicing it up. It fits nicely in this recipe that already has so many strong flavors.
Salt: Add as needed or not at all, up to you.
How to Make Salsa
*Note that these instructions can be printed below
This recipe is super simple, no dicing or a lot of work. We let the food processor do most of the work for us!
Step one: Get all of your ingredients out and prep the vegetables, roughly chop them to fit in the food processor more easily.
Step two: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse for 1-2 seconds at a time, it should only take about 5-6 times pulsing to get your desired result.
Step three: Scoop into a serving dish to enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips! Or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Tips for the Best Homemade Salsa
Customize this salsa recipe if you’d like, make it your own! Customizing a recipe to your own preference is the ultimate way to make it the best recipe in your eyes.
Don’t like cilantro? Don’t include it!
Love spicy foods? Add more jalapeno.
Also, if you don’t have a food processor, use a blender to make it.
Don’t have either, roast your fresh veggies and then once cooled, mash the tomatoes with a potato masher until you get the consistency you want. Then dice up the rest of the veggies to add in.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir or mash until you get it to the consistency you want.
How to Serve this Fresh Salsa Recipe
This salsa is best served cold, preferably with a warm meal or tortilla chips.
It also goes great with:
- Avocado quesadillas
- Vegan burritos
- Wraps
- Refried bean Quesadillas
- Tacos
- Basically anything that uses tortillas
- Tortilla chips
- Nachos
- On top of salads
- In casseroles
- In buddha bowls
- Crostini
- And more!!
How to Store Homemade Salsa
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
FAQ’s Block
- How long will the salsa stay good?
- Store in the fridge in a glass container and it should last for about a week.
- What are the ingredients for salsa?
- Salsa is generally made from some type of tomato, onion, peppers, spices, and lime juice, along with other ingredients you will find in this recipe.
- Do I need to peel my tomatoes for salsa and what type of tomatoes should I use?
- No! No need to peel the tomatoes before placing them in the food processor, just be sure to peel your onion. The best type of fresh tomatoes to use are roma tomatoes, however you can use other tomatoes if that is all you have. For the diced tomatoes, make sure you don’t use any flavored diced tomatoes, the diced tomatoes should be plain, otherwise it will alter the flavor of the salsa.
- I don’t like spicy foods, do I need to add the jalapeno to the salsa?
- You do not need to add the jalapeno to the salsa, however, the other ingredients help balance out the hotness from the pepper, so it’s not too hot.
- I don’t have a food processor, is there another way I can make this?
- Of course, the next easiest way to make this recipe is by blending in a blender. If you don’t have either a food processor or blender, you could finely chop all of the ingredients and stir together in a bowl, however, that will take more time and may not get to the consistency that you’re used to for salsa.
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Homemade Salsa (oil free & vegan)
Shawna ClapperEquipment
- food processor
- Knife & cutting board
Ingredients
- 4-5 Roma Tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 14 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
- ½ medium Red Onion chopped
- 3 Cloves of Garlic chopped
- 1 Jalapeno deseeded
- ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro chopped and lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
- 2 teaspoons Sugar Optional
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Get all of your ingredients out and prep the vegetables, roughly chop them to fit in the food processor more easily.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse for 1-2 seconds at a time, it should only take about 5-6 times pulsing to get your desired result.
- Scoop into a serving dish to enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips! Or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Notes
With veggies being different sizes, you may end up with a little more or a little less salsa than the serving size above. Nutrient facts are a very rough estimate, if you need accurate calculations, please do them yourself!
