Canned tomatoes are a must, you can try the following recipe with fresh and canned and they are two different flavors altogether. I probably should not be sharing this as it is a family secret and the ingredients are added based on how hot the jalepenos are and what not. We get requests for this recipe all of the time. If you want more heat add your favorite serrano/habanero/ghost/Trinidad scorpion. FYI, this is my Mom's recipe that my wife has down pat, believe me, my mom knows Tex-Mex food.
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (14-15oz)
¼ of medium white onion
1-2 jalapenos (depending on heat level)
½ C Fresh Cilantro (more to taste)
1 TBSP garlic
1 tsp salt
½ TBSP cumin (start with less as it can get bitter)
½ lime squeezed
Quickly blend, but not puree, to your liking.
@Yendor: Excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing! This is very much like what I use as my standard.
One of the great things about salsa is that it's SOOOOO good and soooo easy to play with a basic recipe to figure out what variables can change for your specific tastes/purposes. Think about the basics: heat, herb, garlic, acid and EXTRA.
For example:
If you modify the heat (different peppers or mixes of peppers), you can get different heat and different character of the heat. I always add either canned chipotle or dried chipotle to give that smokey heat to my salsa. Can even use sriracha if you don't happen to have jalapanos/habs handy or if you just want to try a different heat profile.
Herb: Play with the cilantro concentrations... some folks like more, some like less. Small differences in amount can have profound effects on the flavor. Add some fresh basil in addition to cilantro. BTW: in my world, salsa REQUIRES fresh cilantro! But that doesn't have to be the only herb included. Throw in some cumin or coriander. Find out what you like and what works for the meal that you're having.
Garlic: For me, this is the difference between an OK salsa and one that will be memorable. For one 14-15 oz can of tomato, I generally go with 5 + large cloves of fresh garlic. Also, IMHO, there's a substantial difference in flavor between the jarred stuff and the fresh cloves that are chopped. I prefer the fresh whole clove garlic.
Acid and EXTRA: acid is important to add to salsa. You don't need much, but you need some. It adds brightness and helps bring out the flavors of everything in the mix. I usually use regular white vinegar. The extra can be something like using lime juice instead of vinegar (as in Yendor's recipe above)...it's acid plus citrus that goes so well with the rest of the ingredients. Extra can be some sweetness to balance out and provide contrast for the acid and the heat (say chopped mango). I'd include salt in the EXTRA as well... a small amount of salt is absolutely needed, but like all the other ingredients, you can refine the taste of your salsa by using different types of salt. I've sometimes used some smoked salt in addition to the chipotles to really emphasize the smokey flavor or the salsa.
BTW: salsa works on just about anything savory. Throw some on your eggs, add to soups, toss a bit on your pizza, mix in with your favorite tomato sauce... it's just amazing stuff.
Bruce
(certified/certifiable salsaholic):biggrin1: