Salsa Roja

Salsa roja is a basic tomato salsa that you might find at your favorite Mexican restaurant. This recipe is based heavily on a recipe from Mexico in my Kitchen. I have converted it to standardized weight measurements for consistency and ease of scaling.

Yield: about 500ml

500g tomatoes
1-2 jalapeños
125g onions
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

Coarsely chop everything. In a blender, blend tomatoes, onions and chilies to desired consistency. If necessary, add water to help with blending. Heat pan with oil over medium heat. Simmer 15-20 minutes, adding water if necessary. Adjust seasonings as desired. Remove from heat and a cilantro/coriander.

Serve with chips, or on tacos / burritos.

Chef’s Notes

Although listed as optional, I highly recommend adding the lime juice and cilantro/coriander. These add a nice depth of flavor to the salsa.

Since so much depends on the quality of the tomatoes being used, if tomatoes aren’t in season (e.g. in the middle of winter), or your local market’s selection is terrible, you can use canned whole tomatoes. Just be sure to reduce/omit the salt, as canned tomatoes often have added salt.