This cherry tomato salsa is prepared using garden-fresh ingredients. It's a quick and easy recipe - no peeling required and way better than store-bought salsa.
I recently tried homemade salsa prepared using spring onions at one of my South American friends' houses. I had never thought of using green onions in salsa before.
Towards the end of summer, my little veggie garden produced abundant cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, green onions, and even garlic. This was perfect for making garden-fresh salsa using all these freshly harvested produce. By the way, if you are looking for recipes for fresh cherry tomatoes, you will love this simple roasted cherry tomato sauce.
Trust me, if you start making fresh salsa at home, you will never love store-bought salsa.
Let's get started!
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What is special about this dish
- This garden-fresh salsa is prepared using all the fresh ingredients harvested from the garden, hence the name.
- You can make this quick and easy salsa in minutes to enjoy a fresh taste.
- It is way better than what you will get from the stores.
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes - these are perfect for making quick and fresh salsa. I used small, round, bright red cherry tomatoes from my garden.
- Onion - fresh green onions add a nice greenish color to the salsa. I harvested them from the garden just before making the salsa.
- Cilantro - you will need a few springs of fresh cilantro to flavor the salsa. If you are not a fan of cilantro, then use parsley instead.
- Garlic - a small whole clove of garlic is enough for this recipe.
- Lime - gives a nice citrusy taste and helps bring out flavors in the dish. I prefer using freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Jalapeno - adds heat and color to the homemade salsa. You can skip it if you prefer not to make the spicy salsa.
- Salt - just salt is enough to season the dish. Optionally, you can also add ground black pepper.
Recipe variations
- Onion - use a small red onion instead of spring onions in this recipe.
- Tomatoes - Any other tomato variety, such as Roma, Amish paste, plum or grape tomatoes, etc., will work instead of cherry tomatoes.
- Use some cumin powder to flavor the dish.
Preparation tips
If you are making this garden-fresh cherry tomato salsa using a food processor, follow the following steps.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Then, remove the seeds.
- Roughly chop green onions.
- Remove cilantro leaves from the thick stem.
- Peel the garlic. No need to chop it.
- Trim the stem side of the jalapeno, cut it in half, and remove seeds.
How to make cherry tomato salsa?
a. Prepare salsa in a food processor
Step 1: Add tomato, green onions, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, and lime juice in a food processor jar.
Step 2: Pulse it to make a chunky mixture, or puree it if you want a smooth salsa. Add salt, and the garden-fresh salsa is ready to enjoy.
b. Prepare salsa without a food processor
Finely chop tomato, green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Combine them all in a serving bowl. Add minced garlic, lime juice, and salt; mix well. This is also called Pica de Gallo.
c. How to make roasted cherry tomato salsa?
Spread cherry tomato halves after removing the seeds on a baking sheet. Add some oil, mix well, and spread in a single layer. Bake them in a preheated oven at 400F for 15 mins. To get roasted color, broil for about 2 mins at the end. Cool down completely, and then use roasted cherry tomatoes for salsa.
Serving suggestions
- Serve it with tortilla chips and fresh guacamole for a healthy appetizer or side.
- Add it as a topping in a homemade burrito bowl or this Mexican chicken salad.
- It also pairs well with cilantro lime chicken thighs or turkey mini meatloaves.
- Use it in this ground chicken burger.
Helpful tips
- Remove the seeds from the cherry tomatoes before blending. Otherwise, the seeds will be visible in the salsa and will make the salsa a bit runny, too.
- After blending, you can also strain the excess juice to prevent the salsa from being runny. I don't do it to avoid extra cleanup. I noticed the green onions give the salsa a slightly gel-like texture after blending, and the salsa does not appear to have any excess water.
Storage Tips
You can store leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Water may separate over time. Drain it, and then use the salsa.
FAQs
This garden-fresh salsa tastes amazing when it is fresh. Therefore, I recommend not freezing it. The freezing and thawing process will change the texture of the salsa.
There is no need to peel fresh cherry tomatoes. It does not affect the texture and taste of the salsa.
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📖 Recipe
Garden Fresh Cherry Tomato Salsa
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes cut in half and seeds removed
- 2 scallions cut 2-3 parts
- 1 medium garlic clove peeled
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro add more or less
- ½ lime
- 1 jalapeno cut in half and remove seeds
- salt to taste start with ¼ teaspoon and add more if necessary
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor jar.
- Pulse chop to make a chunky mixture or puree to make a smooth salsa.
Notes
- You can also use Roma or Plum tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.
- Use a small onion if you do not have green onions.
- Not a fan of cilantro? Replace it with fresh parsley. Add less quantity than mentioned in the recipe, as parsley has a stronger flavor than cilantro.
- Skip jalapeno if you don't want any heat in the salsa.
- Read the above sections for more helpful information and recipe variations.
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