Name: Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 tomatoes, finely chooped; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 clove garlic, minced; 2 jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped; 1 tbsp white vinegar; 1 lime, juiced; 0.75 tsp salt; 1.5 tbsp sugar; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil

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Salsa has always been a favourite in my household. We go through jars of it, especially since one of my all-time favourite snacks is nachos—and let’s be honest, you can’t have great nachos without a good salsa on the side! Lately, though, I started to notice just how much store-bought salsa was adding up. In this economy, every penny counts, so I figured it was time to try making my own.

I’ve made pico de gallo plenty of times before, but stepping into the world of cooked Mexican-style salsa rojo was new territory for me. It felt a bit intimidating, but my adventurous side was itching to get experimenting. Could I create something that matched the flavors I love? There was only one way to find out.

One of the best parts of making things from scratch is that I can make it exactly as I like. Of course, that also means plenty of trial and error! I adore cilantro in most dishes, but when I first added it to my salsa, it completely overpowered the taste. After a few batches, I decided to leave it out entirely. If you’re a cilantro lover, you might want to add just a tiny bunch to your salsa, but for me, it was too much. I also discovered that store-bought salsa has more sugar than I expected, and since I’d grown to love that slight sweetness, I ended up adding a lot more sugar than I had originally planned to my homemade version.

My ideal salsa needs to have a kick! Enough to wake up your taste buds, but not so much that it’s overpowering. It took plethora of tries to find that perfect balance, but I think I’ve finally nailed it! I use this salsa for everything, from tacos to serving as a dip with nachos. My roommate even gave it a try, and it’s safe to say it’s a hit in our home!

There are so so so many salsa recipes out there claiming to be the best, but taste is subjective after all. If you’re thinking about making your own salsa, don’t be afraid to experiment! Make this recipe your own: taste as you go, and don’t worry if it takes a few tries to find your perfect mix of spice and sweetness. That’s the fun part!

Ingredients

6tomatoes, finely chooped

1medium onion, finely chopped

2 clovegarlic, minced

2jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 tbspwhite vinegar

1lime, juiced

0.75 tspsalt

1.5 tbspsugar

0.5 tspground cumin

0.5 tspsmoked paprika

0.5 tspblack pepper

0.25 tspcayenne pepper

1 tbspolive oil

Instructions

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1Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeños. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.

2Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir in the vinegar, lime juice, salt, sugar, cumin, cayanne pepper, smoked paprika and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3If the salsa is too thick, add a little water to reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, simmer for a few more minutes to reduce the liquid. Please note that the salsa thickens up when it cools down.

4Taste the salsa and adjust the seasonings (salt, vinegar, lime juice) as needed.

5Let the salsa cool to room temperature before transferring it to a clean, airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salsa

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutritional Information

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