Fresh, juicy and full of flavour, this simple tomato salsa takes just a few minutes to throw together. It’s lovely scooped up with tortilla chips, piled onto tacos or served alongside grilled meats. Don’t worry about chopping everything perfectly. A few uneven chunks give it that lovely homemade feel.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Resting: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes: Approximately 500g
Ingredients
- 400g ripe tomatoes (about 4 medium), finely chopped
- 75g red onion (about ½ medium onion), finely diced
- 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (optional, but recommended)
Method
- Prepare the vegetables
Finely chop the tomatoes and red onion, then roughly chop the coriander, including the tender stems. There’s no need to remove the tomato seeds unless they’re particularly watery. - Mix everything together
Add the tomatoes, onion and coriander to a bowl. Season with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lime juice, if using. Give everything a good stir. - Leave to rest
Let the salsa sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to come together. The tomatoes will release some juice, which helps create a lovely fresh dressing. - Taste and serve
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a little more salt, lime juice or coriander if needed. Serve straight away or refrigerate until needed.
Notes
- A little heat: Add ½ finely chopped red chilli or jalapeño. Leave the seeds in if you like things spicy.
- Garlic: Stir in 1 small grated garlic clove for a stronger flavour.
- Tomatoes: Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. Cherry tomatoes work particularly well when larger tomatoes are out of season.
- Too watery? Simply spoon off a little excess liquid before serving, but don’t throw it away. It’s lovely mixed into salad dressings or sauces.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoy within 2 days. The salsa will soften and release more liquid the longer it sits.
Tip: This is one of those recipes where tasting as you go makes all the difference. Some tomatoes are sweet, others are sharper, and you might fancy more onion or coriander on a particular day. There’s no need to measure everything too precisely once you’ve made it a couple of times.