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#CatCooks: Homemade, restaurant-quality salsa

By Catherine Toth Fox • May 5, 2015 • Food, Weekend Dish
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There are a few things I never even think about making.

Like mayonnaise or marshmallows.

Same can be said for salsa.

Why make it when you can buy it — and it’s easier, cheaper and probably better-tasting?

I decided to try making my own salsa after a girlfriend wanted a spicy condiment to serve with some smoked pork she was planning to make. I had fully planned to just buy a fancy jar, but she insisted I make it from scratch. I mean, if she had to make her pork from scratch, I should suffer, too.

Fair enough.

Here’s the thing: I had no idea how to make salsa — just a vague notion it would require tomatoes, peppers and maybe lime juice.

So I searched online, looked through some cookbooks, and came up with a simple — OK, not as simple as just buying a jar of the stuff — recipe that turned out surprisingly good.

I mean, I might not ever buy store-made salsa again!

Here’s what I did:

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Here are the players. Ignore the small can of salsa — I used that to prop up the small can of chipolte peppers in adobo sauce.

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First, I cheated. I used a can of petite tomatoes, already diced and paired with jalapeño peppers. This cuts down your prep down greatly. I dumped the entire can — with the juices — into a small food processor.

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Next, I added about 1/4 cup of diced onions. You can add more if you want.

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I like my salsa chunky and fresh, so I added a few grape tomatoes into the mix. You can use cherry or Roma tomatoes, too.

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Then I diced up about a quarter of a full-size red bell pepper. In hindsight, I would have used yellow instead for both color and sweetness. Still, this worked. I added this (and the tomatoes above) into the food processor.

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Salsa needs kick, so I added two more jalapeño peppers. I removed the seeds and ribs — I wanted to cut down on the heat — but you can keep them, if you prefer a super spicy salsa.

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I sliced the peppers really thin and added them to the food processor.

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Here’s the secret ingredient: chipolte peppers soaked in Filipino adobo sauce. This gives the salsa that vinegar-y kick — and some heat. If you can’t find it, don’t worry. The salsa doesn’t need it.

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I just added a heaping tablespoon of this stuff to the mixture. Not much, but the heat and the smoky flavor go a long way.

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Next, I added a teaspoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. That’s it.

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I added the juice of a whole lime. It was a small lime, so if you’re using a larger one, you might want to cut down on the juice.

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Finally, the cilantro. I realize this is controversial as a lot of folks — including a bunch of my friends — hate this herb. That’s fine, you don’t need it. But the Chinese parsley gives the salsa such a nice, fresh flavor.

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Pulse the mixture in your food processor about eight to 10 times, that’s it. You’re just trying to mix everything evenly and get a nice consistency. Don’t over-blend it unless you like a smooth salsa. (I don’t!)

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And that’s it! Your salsa is done! It might be more expensive than store-bought salsa, but trust me, this one has more body, more flavor and more depth than anything you’d find in a jar.

*******

Here’s the recipe:

Cat’s Salsa

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce can of petite-cut tomatoes with jalapeños
1 heaping T. of chipolte peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, sliced thinly
Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro, if desired
1/2 tsp. cumin, if desired

Directions:

Put everything in a food processor and pulse eight to 10 times. Store in refrigerator until serve.

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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25 Comments

  • Reply Dennis May 1, 2014 at 6:01 am

    Hi Cat! I’m not a salsa person but these basketball playoffs need a kick in the chips. So I’ll give it a try!!! Looks great! Thanks!

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:50 am

      LMK how it turns out!

  • Reply M May 1, 2014 at 6:56 am

    Hello Cat!
    That looks so guud! But I think I’ll still just buy it. lol

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:50 am

      You know, did you see any salsa in Japan? I don’t think they’re into it…

  • Reply Annoddah Dave May 1, 2014 at 7:12 am

    Cat: Shall I bring my own jar for your salsa. LOL

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:50 am

      LOL! If I still have any left!

  • Reply Makiki May 1, 2014 at 8:10 am

    That sure is a lot of ingredients! Ever try Andy’s Salsa? He sells at the KCC farmers market and I think you can get it at Whole Foods Kahala too. It’s a family fav and almost worth braving the Saturday crowds for.

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:50 am

      No, but I want to try it! Yep, it called for a lot of ingredients, so it gets a little pricey. But worth it! 🙂

  • Reply Coreen May 1, 2014 at 11:37 am

    This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try this out!! Yay!

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:49 am

      LMK how it goes!

  • Reply MissEm May 1, 2014 at 11:45 am

    That looks good. I appreciate homemade food over store bought food any day.

    Last year my cousin in Sacrament sent over a ginormous box of persimmons. Searched online for recipes to use it in and tried a salsa recipe made with the persimmons, red onion, cilantro(love cilantro!), jalapeño pepper, lime juice, and kosher salt. So yummy!

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 1, 2014 at 11:49 am

      Oh, man, that sounds great! I never thought about using persimmons! Thanks for the tip!

  • Reply Old Man May 1, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    Believe me folks, she did GOOD on this salsa. We added this to the tacos and mini-burrito wraps we ate for Taco Tuesday. Thanks again Cat!

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 2, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Aw, thanks! Glad to hear you liked it 🙂

  • Reply Hana May 4, 2014 at 11:53 am

    We love homemade salsa. Now please publish a cookbook with all of your tantalizing recipes.

  • Reply M May 5, 2015 at 10:57 am

    Hello Cat,
    Happy Cinco de Mayo Day!

  • Reply Ken Conklin May 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    Near the top it says “… she had to make her pork from scratch” OMG. Did the little piggies squeal?

    • Reply Catherine Toth Fox May 18, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      That would certainly beat out my homemade salsa, for sure!

  • Reply WildeOscar May 6, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    I married a Mexican with six sisters, and they always make their own salsa. Like their rice, it’s a matter of deep personal pride and individual exprssion, and they’re savagely honest with each other when the result isn’t up to par or offends the palate, I never thought I would, but I’ve come to appreciate fully the many family recipies and varieties of fresh salsa, including experimental ones and ones for which I sometimes contribute fresh ingredients from our garden.

  • Reply zzzzzz May 6, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    Looks great, but I’m wondering why you chopped up ingredients before you put them in the food processor. Being naturally lazy, I would be inclined to just dump stuff in and let the processor do the chopping.

    Well, actually, I’d really be inclined to buy salsa.

    • Reply Catherine Toth Fox May 18, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      You make an excellent point! LOL

  • Reply Gene T May 16, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    That is awesome looking salsa but don’t limit yourself to tomato based. Pineapple salsa is great with grilled fish and Chimichuri is similar to a salsa verde-great on grilled beef. And if you have a Kitchenaid mixer homemade marshmallows aren’t too hard to make but taste incredible!!

    • Reply Catherine Toth Fox May 18, 2015 at 1:55 pm

      I do want to try to make pineapple salsa. I’m a big fan! And marshmallows — that’s on my baking bucket list!

      • Reply Gene T May 18, 2015 at 8:47 pm

        My secret to pineapple relish is to slice the pineapple then grill them. The char adds a nice smoky/molasses kick.

        • Reply Gene T May 18, 2015 at 8:55 pm

          Oops-meant salsa not relish!

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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