Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa (2024)

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This restaurant-style salsa is so easy to make at home you’ll never want to buy expensive pre-made salsa again. All you need is 7 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make. Enjoy as the perfect chips and salsa party appetizer, or add to your favorite tacos, burritos, tamales, savory breakfast scrambles, and more.

Can you make salsa with canned tomatoes?

Absolutely! Making homemade restaurant-style salsa with canned tomatoes is a convenient shortcut that still yields a restaurant-worthy flavor. We like to use peeled, whole Roma tomatoes, but in a pinch, canned diced tomatoes will work. Talk about a fool-proof recipe! Even with canned tomatoes, this restaurant-style salsa tastes so much fresher, and you can adjust the spices and seasonings according to your taste preference.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Canned whole tomatoes: We wanted to make this homemade salsa as easy as possible and used a can of whole Roma tomatoes. Make sure to add the juice to the mix too. You don’t want to leave behind all that flavor!
• Onion: Raw white onion adds a bite without overpowering the salsa. If you like a really powerful onion flavor, opt for the raw red onion.
• Jalapeno: The amount of jalapeno pepper you add is going to depend on how spicy your peppers are. From our experience, jalapenos can range from pretty mild to extremely spicy. We’d recommend tasting a small piece of the jalapeno before adding it to your salsa to ensure it’s not too hot.
• Garlic: A small clove adds a bite similar to the onion.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro instantly elevates the flavor of this homemade salsa, making it restaurant worthy. If you do not love cilantro, feel free to omit it.
• Lime: Adds a tangy brightness that also enhances the saltiness. We highly recommend fresh lime juice for the best results!
• Cumin: Ground cumin adds warmth and savoriness to the tomato salsa. Please don’t skip this!
• Salt: We recommend starting with ½ teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and adding additional salt to taste.
• Sugar: Optional, but a small pinch of sugar can help cut the acidity in the tomatoes and balance the flavor.

Equipment Needed

• Food processor
• Kitchen knife
• Cutting board

How to Make Restaurant-Style Salsa

1. Pulse in a food processor. Place all of the salsa ingredients into the food processor fitted with an “s” blade. Pulse the ingredients together until your desired texture is reached. We like our salsa fairly smooth.
2. Season to taste. If you prefer your salsa tangier, add a bit more lime juice. If it needs more spice, add additional jalapeno or cumin, etc.
3. Chill. Transfer the salsa to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marinate together.
4. Serve. Serve cold as desired, and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

This salsa with canned tomatoes will last up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If desired, you can freeze this salsa for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen salsa for 1-2 days in the refrigerator, then serve chilled as usual.

What to Serve Homemade Salsa With

Homemade restaurant-style salsa is good for more than just appetizers! In addition to serving with homemade tortilla chips and Mango Kombucha Margaritas or Date-Sweetened Horchata, this restaurant-style salsa pairs well with tons of our savory recipes from the blog. Here are some of our absolute favorites:

• Oil-Free Vegan Tamales
• Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
• Roasted Fajita Vegetable Bowls
• Loaded Vegan Nachos
• Sheet Pan Tofu Taco Meat or Lentil Taco Meat
• 5-Ingredient Stuffed Peppers

This quick and easy tomato salsa is truly meant to be added to almost anything!

Recipe FAQs

More Homemade Vegan Dips You May Love:

• Vegan Nacho Cheese
• Easy Homemade Guacamole
• Vegan 7-Layer Dip
• Vegan Black Bean Dip
• Vegan Street Corn Dip
• Easy Chipotle Crema

If you make this recipe, let us know what you think in the comments below! + If you post any photos on Instagram, make sure you tag us@sweetsimpleveganand @consciouschris so that we don’t miss it, we love seeing your photos!

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