Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

Restaurant-Style Salsa

This Restaurant-Style Salsa recipe is simple, fresh, and loaded with flavor, perfect for dipping tortilla chips or topping your favorite Mexican dishes. It uses a combination of canned tomatoes and fresh ingredients to give you that authentic, smooth texture you’d expect from a restaurant salsa.

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes (fire-roasted for extra flavor, optional)
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded (for milder salsa) or unseeded (for extra heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 fresh Roma tomato, diced (optional, for extra texture)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the ingredients:

• Roughly chop the onion, jalapeños, and garlic. If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the jalapeños before chopping.

2. Blend the salsa:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the canned tomatoes (with their juices), onion, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture a few times until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. For restaurant-style smooth salsa, pulse until smooth, or leave it chunkier if you prefer more texture.

3. Taste and adjust:

• Taste the salsa and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt, lime juice, or jalapeño for heat. If it’s too thick, you can add a little bit of water to reach the desired consistency.

4. Add fresh tomato (optional):

• If you’d like a mix of textures, stir in the diced fresh Roma tomato at the end for added freshness and color.

5. Chill and serve:

• Transfer the salsa to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve with tortilla chips, or use as a topping for tacos, burritos, or nachos.

Tips:

• Spice it up: Add more jalapeños or even a small serrano pepper for extra heat. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
• Roasted flavor: For a deeper flavor, try using fire-roasted canned tomatoes or char your onions and jalapeños before blending.
• Make it ahead: Salsa tastes even better after it sits for a few hours, so you can make it ahead of time for gatherings or meal prep.

This Restaurant-Style Salsa is quick, easy, and will elevate any meal with its fresh, zesty flavors. Perfect for parties, game day, or just a snack!