How to Make Salsa

Aug 18, 2015

When I eat healthy I limit the amount of fat, sodium and sugar in my diet. In order to avoid having my food taste bland,  I use vegetables and fruits to add flavor. There are so many fruits and vegetables we can use to make our food taste delicious and healthy.  

One of my favorite things to make is salsa. I've been eating salsa since I was a kid and I'm lucky that my mom makes the best salsa. Check out my salsa recipe and suggestions below:   

 

What will I need to make salsa?

Ingredients:  Tomatoes, peppers, water and salt.

Kitchen supplies: A blender or a molcajete (mortar and pestle).

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C.
 

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C. 

 

How can I make my salsa spicy?

Thai peppers are very spicy and packed with flavor, so if you want some spicy salsa add a small handful.

 

Top row right to left: Chili serrano, Jalapenos.  Bottom row right to left: Thai peppers, dried abrol peppers.

Top row : Serrano Chili Pepper, Jalapenos. Bottom row: Thai Peppers, Dried Abrol Peppers.

 

How can I make a mild salsa? 

Jalapeños tend to be the least spicy. Experiment by adding a few when you make your salsa. Once you build a tolerance, add more peppers.  

 

You can add salsa to almost any dish to give it flavor.
 
You can add salsa to almost any dish to give it flavor.
 

What if my salsa is too spicy?

 Add another tomato or water to reduce spiciness.

 

The traditional way of making salsa is using the molcajete (mortar and pestle) to crush the tomatoes and peppers together.
 
The traditional way of making salsa is using the molcajete (mortar and pestle) to crush the tomatoes and peppers together.
 

How can I make green/red salsa?

If you want to make your salsa red, use tomatoes and dried Chile de Abrol.

If you want to make your salsa green, use tomatillos (they look like small green tomatoes) and green peppers.

You can use tomatoes to make green salsa: just reduce the number of tomatoes and increase the number of green peppers.  

 

Purple salsa:  Once you feel comfortable making salsa you can use a variety of peppers and tomatoes to make your salsa different colors.
 
 
Purple salsa: Once you feel comfortable making salsa you can use a variety of peppers and tomatoes to make your salsa different colors.
 

Do you have a recipe I can try?

Yes! Here is a quick and easy recipe that I made in less than 8 minutes:

Ingredients:3 tomatoes, 6 grilled jalapeños, water and garlic salt.  

I typically grill the tomatoes and jalapeños and add warm water when I make salsa. 

Note: If you blend the tomatoes and jalapeños raw it will taste different. If you decide not to grill them, just heat up the finished salsa in a pan.  

 

 

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By Javier Miramontes
Author - Community Nutrition and Health Supervisor
By Emily Harris
Editor - Marketing Program Coordinator