Salsa

I love salsa. This becomes a problem, as the salsa I particularly love (Byron Bay) runs to $6 or $7 a jar sometimes.

There is quite a good, fresh, homemade version I have made in the past. The recipe came in the instruction manual of my magic bullet blender. The only problem is, it calls for mostly fresh ingredients, and can be quite watery depending on the tomatoes used. I've modified it as per below to be mostly pantry/fridge items so I can make it in a flash.  I'm still working on the final result. This batch was quite good, but a little more oniony then I would normally prefer.

Pantry Salsa.

1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp crushed garlic
4 tblspn frozen onion (or try 2 tblspn jar onion. You might be able to use onion powder, but I haven't tried this. It might make the salsa thicker though.)
1/2 Jalapeno (I buy these in jars, can't find them fresh anywhere).
4 sprigs of coriander (just the length of my thumb. This is the only fresh ingredient. The jars and paste versions just aren't the same)

With the magic bullet, I pour them half and half in the order above into a cup, then blend each for only two pulses. This keeps the texture thick and chunky.

If you have a normal blender, I'd put the ingredients in in reverse, then pulse a little. Not too much, or it will be a sauce/soup, not a salsa.


I would like to improve the water content and possibly increase the heat factor, but this is good enough to eat straight away. It keeps for some time in the fridge.

Possible additions:

Onion/garlic powder for thickness
Different chillis
chilli powder
cumin powder
coriander powder
refried beans/beans in general (adds a depth to the flavour)