Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa
A while back on a visit to The Big Apple, we stopped at Brookfield Place for a quick bite. Near the World Trade Center, The Brookfield has an upscale food court (this is an understatment). You won’t find corn dogs and pretzel bites, what you will find-organic kale and quinoa salads, Pad Thai, avocado toast, sushi…the trendy hipster options are endless. After agonizing over what to eat, grab your food and pounce on the first table near the windows. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Hudson while you eat.
I decided on an egg dish (can’t remember exactly what I had) but it needed a punch of flavor. Back to the stand where I ordered my eggs. “Do you have any salsa”? The woman in line behind me rudely interjects “RIGHT in front of you”. I glance at the counter, turn to her and say “SALSA not salt” (you schmuck). The counter guy hands me a couple of packets of hot sauce with an apologetic “uh, will this do?” I take them and quickly walk away so he doesn’t hear me sigh.
New York City, you don’t know what you are missing…
With Cinco de Mayo coming up I pulled out a salsa recipe I had come across in the blog Cookie + Kate. This salsa is SUPER EASY and a snap to put together. This leaves plenty of time to mix up a batch of your favorite Margaritas, the perfect foil for chips and this salsa.
The secret? The salsa starts with a can of FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES. TJ’s has their house brand version that I have used with good results and Muir Glen makes organic fire-roasted tomatoes. Drain the tomatoes well or it will be watery. Throw the tomatoes in your food processor along with coarsely chopped garlic, jalapeno, diced onion, cilantro and a bit of lime juice and salt. Give it a whirl and voila’ SALSA TIME. Want it spicier, add more jalapeno. Bit more tangy? Extra squeeze of lime. Added punch? 2 garlic cloves instead one. It’s entirely up to you.
Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 can 15 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1-2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- ½ cup roughly chopped white onion about ½ small onion
- ¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ medium jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice more if needed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Drain off about half of the tomato juice from the can (about ⅓ cup) and discard it.
- In a food processor:
- Add the tomatoes and all of the remaining juice from the can. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.
- Pulse the mixture until it is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomato or onion remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if you like.
- Serve the salsa immediately or store it for later.
- This salsa keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.