Salsa Fresca

By Martha Rose Shulman

Salsa Fresca
Rikki Snyder for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(1,098)
Comments
Read comments

This quick fresh tomato salsa will always be best when tomatoes are in season. But you can pump up the flavor with a little lime juice if the flavor of your tomatoes is a little dull. Juicy tomatoes will yield a more watery salsa than pulpy roma tomatoes.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups
  • ¼small white or red onion, minced
  • 1teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1pound fresh, ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 to 3jalapeño or serrano chiles, to taste, minced (and seeded, if you would like a milder salsa)
  • 4tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, more to taste
  • 1 to 3teaspoons fresh lime juice (optional)
  • Salt to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

26 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 303 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place minced onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes or longer. Drain and rinse with cold water.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir in onions. (If your tomatoes are full of flavor, you won’t need lime juice.) Ideally, let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before eating so that flavors will blend and ripen.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,098 user ratings
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Comments

Bob Rugg

It took a long time to find the missing ingredient to my salsa...... add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. It binds the whole thing together.

Min.

I make this all the time during the summer and use watery tomatoes on purpose. When the salsa is almost gone and you've got a batch of spicy tomato water left behind, make pico marys or pico marias! Just add vodka or tequila. Rim the glass with salt if you like. Unbelievable!

Rob

It takes away some of the harsh "sulfur sting" of the onion flavor, and adding the vinegar gives them a gentle pickle. It's a short soak so the texture and major flavor components are preserved. Not all onions are created equal, and this helps level the playing field.

First time marking salsa with fresh tomatoes!

Used a mix of ripe early girl and cherry tomatoes, red onion soaked first in the vinegar, extra cilantro, 3 slices of pickled jalapenos, and added 1 tsp cumin and a splash of olive oil. Delish!

David

This is a traditional pico de gallo recipe. Salsa is a misnomer.

jandk

Add cumin and oregano

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