Best Red Salsa Recipe (2024)

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The best Red Salsa Recipe ever, easy, healthy + vegan, ready in 5 minutes, made with sweet San Marzano tomatoes (or fire roasted), an authentic touch of cumin and just the right amount of spicy. The perfect quick and easy 100% whole foods plant-based vegan dip or appetizer to bring to a game day party or backyard barbecue.

Best Red Salsa Recipe (1)

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Red Salsa Recipe

Also known as“ Salsa Roja ” this is a simple restaurant style salsa sauce to enjoy with your favorite chips. It’sperfect for canning or serving right away with chunky guacamole and tortilla chips, pupusas, tamales or as a condiment to a main dish. I’ll even use it as a sauce to toss with capellini noodles or drizzle it over steamed rice, vegan potato pancakes,black beans , tofu scrambleor these vegan street tacos de carnitas.

About the Ingredients

Lycopene loaded tomatoes, spicy chile, garlic, a mix of scallions and red onions, cilantro, citrusy lime and the perfect amount of smoked paprika for the most delicious flavor profile.

Simply the Best!

Is Salsa Healthy?

I really can’t count the times I’ve been asked this question! Yes friends, homemade salsa is good for you! It’s an oil-free, low calorie sauce bursting with flavor and loaded with micro nutrients our bodies need to thrive. You control what goes inside!

Salsa Making Tips

  • Restaurant Style – use a food processor to whip up a batch, but pay close attention that you don’t turn it into a smoothie. The “Pulse” button is your friend.
  • Make it Chunky – If you prefer your salsa chunky, I’d suggest using a sharp knife instead of a processor and chop everything together by hand on a cutting board. Easy breezy, in any case it should be ready in about 5 minutes.

Best Tomatoes for Salsa

  • Canned – The recipe calls for sweet canned San Marzano tomatoes because they are the best ever! You are free of course to use the fire roasted variety or whatever canned tomatoes you have in the pantry. However, keep in mind that you will be missing out on some amazing flavor, I’d go as far as to argue that the magic of this salsa is all in the sweet Italian tomatoes.
  • Fresh – If you are wanting to make a “Salsa Fresca” aka“ Pico de Gallo “ or a fresh style salsa then you must use chopped “fresh tomatoes” instead of the canned variety.

P.S. If you enjoyed this recipe please come back here to rate it in the comments section below, It always makes my day ~ Florentina Xo’s

watch how to make the best red salsa recipe

Best Red Salsa Recipe (7)

5 from 5 votes

Best Red Salsa Recipe

Easy and healthy, the best salsa recipe ever, ready in 5 minutes, made with sweet San Marzano tomatoes ( or the fire roasted variety) plus an authentic touch of cumin.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Total Time:5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 28 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes (drained of all the juices)
  • 2 scallions
  • 1/2 red onion - diced
  • 2 cloves garlic - large & grated
  • 1 jalapeno pepper - sliced (to your taste)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin or to taste
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika ( + more to taste)
  • 1 large lime - juiced
  • 1 pinch sea salt + more to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the red onion, scallions, garlic and jalapeño to the bowl of a food processor. Give it a buzz or two until chopped.

    2 scallions, 1/2 red onion, 1 jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves garlic

  • Add the tomatoes (Without juices), spices and cilantro on top and pour in the lime juice.

    28 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, 3/4 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 1 large lime, 1 pinch sea salt, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

  • Very carefully press the pulse button a few quick times making sure you don’t over chop the salsa. (Alternately you can chop everything by hand for a chunky version)

  • Transfer to a bowl and taste seasonings. Add more lime and sea salt as desired. At this point you can add the reserved tomatoes juices if you are wanting a thinner consistency. Add more smoked paprika for a deeper smokier flavor.

Video

Notes

  • Tomatoes - The recipe calls for sweet San Marzano tomatoes, you are free of course to use the fire roasted variety or whatever canned tomatoes you have in the pantry but i don't guarantee the wow factor.
  • Smoked Paprika - Make sure to use Sweet smoked Spanish paprika not the bitter variety that could easily overpower the rest of the salsa flavors. Start with one teaspoon and work your way up from there as paprika varies a lot among brands. (I like to go heavy on paprika so if you know you are a fan of this flavor go for 1 Tbsp as I do, otherwise taste as you go and find your ideal flavor profile here).
  • To make the salsa less spicy omit the chile pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1845IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Latin

Keyword: plant based, salsa, Sauces, vegan recipes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Florentina

Vegan Recipes:

Best Red Salsa Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my homemade salsa red? ›

An aerated salsa

There's no need to worry about pink salsa. Before you decide to add additional tomatoes or red chilies to make your salsa deeper in color, let it sit for a while. Combining anything in a blender or food processor can make your product lighter and fainter in color than the ingredients you started with.

What is the key to good salsa? ›

If there is a “secret” to making a great salsa, it's using very fresh, in season, very ripe tomatoes. Your favorite recipe will tell you everything else.

Why does Mexican restaurant salsa taste so good? ›

A unique blend of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice contributes to the vibrant, lively taste of restaurant-style salsa.

Is it better to use fresh or canned tomatoes for salsa? ›

– made with canned tomatoes. While fresh tomatoes make great pico de gallo, you gotta go with canned tomatoes if you want that true restaurant salsa flavor. You heard it here first, folks!

Why does my salsa taste like nothing? ›

Blandness usually comes from lack of seasoning. When you prepare a dish like spaghetti sauce you want to season as you go, not just at the end. Salt enhances the flavor of foods as well as performs some important functions during cooking, like drawing moisture out of ingredients and intensifying their flavor.

Why do you put cumin in salsa? ›

Cilantro – It adds fresh flavor and pretty flecks of green. Cumin – Its earthy flavor adds complexity to the zesty sauce. Sugar – Just a pinch! It really brings this recipe together, taming the sharp, acidic flavors of the other ingredients.

What are the best tomatoes for salsa? ›

Roma Tomatoes are a popular choice for salsa-making due to their dense and meaty texture, small number of seeds, and full-of-flavor tanginess. Variations of this tomato are sometimes called “plum” or “paste” tomatoes. Red Beefsteak Tomatoes are another favorite for those who favor a juicier tomato in their salsa.

What is the number 1 salsa brand in Mexico? ›

The HERDEZ® brand allows consumers to experience the real flavor and culture of Mexico at home with authentic salsas and cooking sauce. The HERDEZ® brand is the No. 1 selling brand in Mexico and the leading authentic Mexican salsa brand in homes across the US.

What kind of salsa do most Mexican restaurants use? ›

By far, salsa roja is the most popular Mexican salsa, and after a bite, it is not hard to see why. Different chefs will often vary the amount of heat by adjusting how much and what kind of chilis are added to the mix.

Do I need to peel my tomatoes for salsa? ›

You don't have to, but you could

Deciding on keeping tomato skins on or off is really a matter of taste — and how much time you've got on your hands. You don't need to peel them.

Why do people peel tomatoes for salsa? ›

Why would you peel tomatoes? The tomato skin is a different texture from the tomato flesh, and will remain so in sauces and purées—you'll get tiny chunks of skin instead of an uniformly smooth mixture. Moreover, the tomato skin is heavy in a kind of nutrient called flavonols, which impart a bitter flavor.

Why do you put vinegar in canned salsa? ›

You must add acid to canned salsa because the natural acidity may not be high enough. Commonly used acids are vinegar and bottled lemon juice. Lemon juice is more acidic than vinegar and has less effect on flavor.

Why is my salsa green and not red? ›

Some red salsas use tomatoes, which adds to the red hue. Some don't. Green salsas usually use tomatillos. Other green salsas omit them.

Why is my homemade tomato sauce orange not red? ›

For deep red tomato sauce, avoid emulsification

If your tomato sauce is, nevertheless, still turning out orange, we're going to guess that perhaps you have done something to emulsify it, which is known to cause tomato sauce to appear orange.

Why is my homemade salsa green? ›

As a kid I always thought that green salsa was made from green tomatoes, but actually it is made with a distant relative of the tomato from Mexico, the naturally tart tomatillo (pronounced "toe-mah-TEE-yo"). A tomatillo looks like a little green tomato covered with a husk.

Why is my salsa so dark? ›

guajillo and ancho peppers. the guajillo gives that smokey and deep red. it's more than smoking the tomato, onion, jalapeno and garlic.

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