• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Vegan 8

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • My Cookbooks
    • The Vegan 8 Cookbook
    • Oil-free Dressings and Sauces
    • 8 Ingredient Desserts Ebook
  • Workout Plan
  • SHOP
You are here: Home / Appetizers / Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

753shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

A delicious quick and Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe that takes just 10 minutes to make. Made with fresh jalapenos, tomatoes and lime juice, you’ll never buy store-bought again!

Hand dipping chip into bowl of homemade salsa

EASY HOMEMADE SALSA RECIPE

I’m a sucker for salsa, any kind really, but I really love to make my own as well. This easy homemade salsa recipe takes just 10 minutes and is so amazingly delicious, not to mention, healthy!

I also have a delicious Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa in my cookbook, but today’s recipe uses all raw, fresh ingredients. So, they are different, but both delicious. Let’s make some salsa!

Bowl of homemade salsa on platter of tomatoes

These tomatoes drew me in when I saw them. It inspired me to create this salsa recipe. Just a gorgeous rainbow of tomatoes waiting to be turned into an easy homemade salsa recipe.

Silver tray of red orange yellow tomatoes

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PICO DE GALLO AND SALSA?

It drives me bonkers when I see pico de gallo recipes called salsa. I see it all the time and while they have similar ingredients, the texture is totally different. Pico de gallo is all raw chopped veggies (sometimes fruit) and chunky and is sometimes used as a filling. Whereas, the very definition of salsa is “sauce” in Spanish and is saucy with much more liquid.
Not to mention, the two taste very different. I have never been to a Mexican restaurant in my life where they serve salsa and chips and it is a bowl of chunky pico de gallo. Salsa also has a stronger acidic and tomato flavor. Chips and salsa are a food group, didn’t you know?

Yellow bowl of easy fresh homemade salsa and chips

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

  • red onion
  • grape tomatoes (I used sweet brown grape and a few of the orange, use what you like)
  • ground cumin
  • cilantro
  • fresh jalapeno
  • fresh lime juice
  • fresh garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon raw agave or syrup

HOW TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE SALSA

It has to use fresh ingredients and have a fairly smooth consistency. I am NOT a fan of huge chunks in my salsa…reason being, I don’t like the texture of tomatoes. However, I LOVE tomato flavor and sauce.

To make this easy homemade salsa, you need a food processor.

Add all of the ingredients to the food processor an

Bag of fresh bright green cilantro

DON’T SKIP THE CILANTRO

Oh, and it’s gotta have cilantro too. Now, I’m not a huge fan of cilantro in itself, but it just belongs in salsa, especially this quick and easy homemade salsa recipe. It really improves the overall flavor. It tastes so fresh and healthy.

This quick and easy homemade salsa recipe is fabulous with just chips, on tacos or my favorite way is just to heat up a tortilla and get it really warm and dip it in the salsa…SO good.

MORE VEGAN DIPS AND APPETIZERS

  • Roasted Green Tomatillo Salsa Verde
  • Best Vegan Queso
  • Vegan Refried Bean Dip
  • Spicy Buffalo White Bean Hummus
  • Low-fat Vegan Pizza Hummus

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!

Hand dipping chip into bowl of homemade salsa

Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

Brandi Doming
A delicious Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe that takes just 10 minutes to make. Made with fresh jalapenos, tomatoes and lime juice, you'll never buy store-bought again!
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican, Vegan
Yields 1 heaping cup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 packed cup (80g) diced red onion
  • 1 1/2 heaping cups (272g or 1 pint) grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro, adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeno
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22g) fresh lime juice
  • 2 cloves garlic (use the size preferred depending on your love for garlic)
  • 1/2 teaspoon raw agave or syrup
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional, but I love the extra flavor of heat it gives and color)

Note

  • This is the perfect amount of measurements to suit our taste, but feel free to adjust the lime juice or cilantro to your liking. With the tablespoon of fresh chopped jalapeno, it gives a nice kick to it without feeling overpowering. Feel free to adjust.
  • I use this scale.

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until desired consistency. I like mine more saucy, than chunky. Serve either at room temperature or slightly heat up. It is delicious warm! Serve with chips, tacos, omelettes or burritos!
Tried this recipe?Tag @thevegan8brandi on Instagram and use tag #thevegan8!
Keyword easy homemade salsa, fresh salsa recipe, healthy salsa recipe, oil-free salsa, red salsa recipe

The Vegan 8 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy here

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips/Sauces, Kid Friendly, Kid-Friendly Meals, No Bake, Nut Free, Raw, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: Appetizers, Dips, Gluten free, Salsa, Spicy, Tomatoes

Previous Post: « Vegan Refried Bean Dip
Next Post: How to Cook and Bake Without Oil »

Reader Interactions

Comment and Rate This Recipe Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Angela @ Canned-Time.com

    September 18, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    Sounds perfect to me! I could probably live on Mexican food and chips and salsa are my diet weakness for sure. If I had to choose between chocolate and chips I’d be dipping for sure. I love that you use cherry tomatoes. I’m a tomato snob and if they’re not sweet like good vine ripened I won’t even add them to my dish. Also the lime and cilantro sound great. I always use them in my guacamole – probably a great match with your salsa… thanks Girl ♡

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 18, 2014 at 5:40 pm

      I know girl, me too! I looovvvee salsa and grew up here in Texas eating it in Mexican restaurants…it is very different than pico de gallo and I always ask to “hold the pico”…but bring on the salsa!

      Oh and I know, traditionally, salsa uses canned tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, but I just couldn’t resist using these…it was just so simple and delish!

      Reply
  2. suzanne

    September 18, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    I never knew the difference between salsa and pico de gallo, now I do. Thank you. Your salsa sounds delicious.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 18, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      Really? Maybe, it’s just a Texas thing, lol! Since I was a kid, it was always 2 very different things everywhere we went to eat. Thanks Suzanne!

      Reply
  3. Brittany

    September 18, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    I literally eat salsa EVERY single day. Every day. It goes on ALL my salads. This look so yummy and fresh. 🙂

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 19, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Ha, thanks Brittany! I agree…salsa is the best!!

      Reply
  4. GiGi Eats

    September 20, 2014 at 12:17 am

    Those tomatoes wouldn’t last long enough in my house for me to make that tomato salsa! LOL!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 20, 2014 at 11:00 am

      Haha! I know, they were so tempting!

      Reply
  5. Thalia @ butter and brioche

    September 20, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Never made my own salsa before, I have always been lazy and store bought it… but if the recipe is this easy, quick and delicious it is definitely something that I will be making from scratch next time!

    Reply
  6. Melanie @ Happy Being Healthy

    September 21, 2014 at 4:37 am

    This looks fabulous Brandi, and the pics of your tomatoes are Beautiful! Who knew tomatoes could be so beautiful, lol!??! We just bought a big box of regular tomatoes. I imagine this recipe would work okay with those, do ya think? We were going to make and bottle salsa today, but I’ve been too dang tired. I’m lovin’ this raw recipe though and it’s not as overwhelming as making a GIANT batch and bottling it all. I may try your recipe tomorrow. It looks so so good!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 23, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Thank you so much Melanie, you are so sweet! Yes, I’m sure regular tomatoes would be just perfect! Please let me know if you try it and feel free to adjust any seasonings, if necessary 🙂

      Reply
  7. Choc Chip Uru

    September 22, 2014 at 3:34 am

    Perfect for the summer that is coming up, what a lovely salsa 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 22, 2014 at 9:25 am

      Thanks Uru!

      Reply
  8. Cindy

    September 22, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    This looks so simple and fresh – so much better than opening a jar of some brand name salsa. I will have to try this as tomatoes are in a abundance right now. Do you think it would freeze well?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 22, 2014 at 6:00 pm

      Thanks Cindy! Sure, I don’t see why not!

      Reply
  9. Marlene

    September 28, 2014 at 1:14 am

    This was super easy and delicious! I normally use canned tomatoes for salsa, so nice to have a fresh option.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 28, 2014 at 2:50 am

      Thanks so much Marlene for making it and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback

      Reply
  10. Sandy

    October 23, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    It’s very cool that you’ve used grape tomatoes – I’ve never seen anyone else use them for salsa before! 🙂
    I’m not a fresh tomato fan, but I do love salsa, so I’m quite tempted to try this!!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      October 23, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      Thank you Sandy!! I hope you try it! I served it at my daughters birthday party and it was a hit. Fresh and so easy to make!

      Reply
  11. Samidha

    July 11, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    Hey,

    What can I use instead of raw agave? Will sugar do?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      July 11, 2016 at 11:00 pm

      You can use maple syrup. Or, yes, you can use sugar, you may need a tad more since liquid sweetener is more concentrated.

      Reply
  12. Cheryl

    July 17, 2016 at 2:05 am

    5 stars
    This is the best salsa I ever had. It only lasts a day or two in my house, so I just buy enough ingredients to make it all week. Thank you!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      July 17, 2016 at 5:40 pm

      So very happy to hear that Cheryl, thank you so much for the feedback!!

      Reply
  13. Sarah

    February 3, 2017 at 2:53 am

    5 stars
    I needed salsa for burrito bowls I was making for dinner. Unfortunately I had run out and did not want to wake my sleeping toddler to run to the store. Fortunately I had all the ingredients I needed for this salsa! Yummy! And so much better than store bought!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 3, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      Wonderful Sarah! So glad you loved the salsa, thank you so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  14. Ashley B

    August 13, 2017 at 3:18 am

    Could you can this recipe?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      August 13, 2017 at 3:20 am

      Hi Ashley! I have no idea. I don’t know anything about canning, so I’m afraid I’m just no sure of the proper way to do it.

      Reply
  15. Claudia

    September 6, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    I just finished making my salsa and it is very runny ,I am thinking my tomatoes were too ripe. Anything I can do to thicken it up?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 6, 2017 at 9:15 pm

      Hi Claudia, yes, that is possible. It’s not supposed to be super thick. However, tomatoes thicken up a ton in the fridge as they chill. So place the salsa in your fridge and check it tomorrow or several hours later today and it should have thickened up much better.

      Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      September 6, 2017 at 9:17 pm

      Does it not look like the texture of the salsa in the pic? Also, did you use the grape tomatoes like I have listed? Different tomatoes have different water levels, so that could be it if you used a different tomato than I used.

      Reply
    • alyr

      March 23, 2019 at 2:47 am

      If you find it runny you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste to it. If your tomatoes are watery in advance you can salt them for a few minutes in a colander before making the salsa.

      Reply
  16. Kiran

    January 9, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    Wow my child is doing this at school and they are following your recipe it tasted wows a !!!can you can this recipie though???…

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 29, 2018 at 12:19 am

      So glad it was such a hit! So sorry I just saw this comment. As far as canning, I know nothing about canning, so I’m afraid I can’t give advice on how to do it, so sorry!

      Reply
  17. Tina

    February 13, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    I did not expect this to taste THIS good!! I have a easy quick go to salsa now! Thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 15, 2018 at 7:31 am

      Yay, thank you so much Tina for the awesome review!

      Reply
  18. Jenny

    October 8, 2018 at 4:51 am

    5 stars
    Wow! We absolutely love this salsa!! It’s sooooo much better than store bought salsa that it has become a staple in our home! Thank you, Brandi, for another delicious recipe!!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      October 11, 2018 at 6:29 am

      That is so wonderful to hear Jenny, thank you so much for the review!

      Reply
  19. Nancy

    January 9, 2019 at 3:38 am

    Did you use a tomatillo or green tomato? I see it in the picture but didn’t notice it on the recipe.
    Maybe it was a prop ( beautiful by the way). 😀

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 9, 2019 at 6:48 am

      Hi Nancy, no I just used the red and oranges, no green, it’s only there because it was too pretty to pass up, lol. You can just use red cherry or grape tomatoes, that is totally fine 🙂

      Reply
  20. Alisa

    January 9, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    Hello! I love your recipes! Do you think raw honey would be okay in this instead of agave nectar? Thank you!:)

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 9, 2019 at 11:13 pm

      Yes, for sure!

      Reply
  21. Lisa

    January 30, 2019 at 2:05 am

    5 stars
    This was fabulous!! I made it a bit more chunky so that it was more like a pico de gallo. Made it to go with vegan huevos rancheros tonight and it was a huge hit with the whole family. 4 clean plates=success!! This is the second time I’ve made this in two days—definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 30, 2019 at 4:31 am

      Wonderful Lisa, so glad to hear you love this salsa! Thank you so much for making it!

      Reply
  22. Amy

    August 21, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    5 stars
    Damn! My onion and cilantro-hating husband AND my picky 4 year liked this!!! And I love it! Definitely making this again!! At first I didn’t taste the spice, but heat sneaks up on you… So good!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      August 22, 2020 at 11:14 pm

      Haha so awesome to hear that Amy! Yay!

      Reply
  23. Vicky

    March 19, 2021 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    Best salsa recipe I’ve tried! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 19, 2021 at 7:59 pm

      Yay! Love hearing that!

      Reply
  24. Cheryl

    April 10, 2021 at 5:37 pm

    5 stars
    This is so good! I made it in the vita mix and used a 28oz can of whole tomatoes and some poblano. My favorite new salsa! Thank you

    Reply
  25. Elaine

    January 28, 2023 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe because its easy, quick and delicious. Really the best recipe I have found and now I can stop searching for salsa on the internet.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Search this blog…


I'm Brandi, creator of this vegan blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. The majority of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water. I love to create health-focused recipes, using whole foods to improve fitness and muscle-building, with the occasional comfort meal thrown in there! I'm an expert on oil-free cooking and baking! read more →

ORDER NOW!!

Join 414,119 Followers!

FacebookInstagramPinteresttumblr

The Vegan 8 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy here.

MOST POPULAR POSTS!

WHAT’S IN MY VEGAN PANTRY

THE BEST VEGAN FLUFFY PANCAKES

Fluffy vegan pancakes stacked on plate

THE BEST VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE

Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo on white plate

THE BEST VEGAN QUESO

Hand dipping chip into bowl of vegan queso

VEGAN STUFFED RICOTTA SHELLS

Vegan Stuffed Shells with Spinach

VEGAN THAI GREEN CURRY

Bowl of vegan thai green sweet potato curry

CHEESY MEXICAN TORTILLA BAKE

Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake in casserole dish

CLASSIC VEGAN NOODLE SOUP

Classic Vegan Noodle Soup in turquoise bowl

THE BEST VEGAN RANCH DRESSING

Best Vegan Ranch Dressing pouring over a salad

THE BEST OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Vegan Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies stacked

THE BEST VEGAN FUNFETTI CAKE

Slice of Vegan Gluten-free Funfetti Birthday Cake

THE BEST VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES

Vegan Gluten-free Snickerdoodles stacked on plate

BEST VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

scattered vegan chocolate chip cookies on white board

Recent Posts

  • Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Vegan Egg Roll In A Bowl
  • Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes (Gluten-free Options!)
  • Vegan Apple Crisp In A Mug
  • 4 Week Workout Plan
  • Oil-free Dressings and Sauces EBOOK
  • Vegan Almond Sesame Tofu
  • Vegan Protein Smoothie (To Curb Sugar Cravings)
  • Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Smoothie
  • Easy Oil-Free Pumpernickel Bread

Copyright The Vegan 8 © 2023 · Privacy Policy

  • 47
  • 702