Summer Entertaining: Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa

The Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa is easy to make using fresh ingredients and your handy food processor.  Perfect for all your summer get togethers!

Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa 

Whenever we entertain over the summer next to the pool,  we typically serve a mix of snack food before the main meal.  This homemade restaurant style salsa served along with tortilla chips fits the bill.  Plus it's even better than any jarred salsa.  

A few simple ingredients thrown in the food processor and pulsed to perfection will create a saucier salsa that is reminiscent of the ones served at your favorite Mexican restaurant. 

Enjoy!

Entertaining Tips

Many great connections are made around the table eating wonderful food.  You can have people come over as strangers and leave as friends with good food, conversation, and your wonderful hospitality.  Entertaining doesn't have to be lavish or over-the-top, but should be special and unique.  Providing appetizers such as this homemade salsa and chips is one way to get people to interact before dinner.

I served this in a long weaved bread basket, lining it with a colorful towel.  Instead of just using this basket for the chips I snuggled in a deep bowl that holds the salsa.  That keeps the dip close to the dippers.  Another way would be to use a round basket with the dip bowl in the middle and chips all around.  Simple yet elevated from the typical bag of chips and a tub full of salsa.  Serve along with drinks or cocktails and other types of chips and salasa for variety.  

What Ingredients do I need?

• 28 oz canned diced or whole tomatoes - use a good quality tomato for the best flavor
• garlic
• cilantro
• jalapeno - fresh or jarred pickled jalepenos
• cumin
• red onion
• 1 fresh lime - fresh lime juice is always best

Substitutions and Variations

• Use fresh tomatoes, about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lbs. I would peel them first.

• Don't like your salsa spicy? Leave out the jalapeno.

• If you don't have any jalapeno on hand use a few dashes of hot sauce or sirracha.

• Use white or yellow onion instead of red.

• Try adding salsa over grilled chicken, or use it as a sauce when baking chicken.  Add a dollop to tostadas, tacos, and burritos.  Serve along quesadilla with sour cream.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a good quality/brand of tomatoes for the best flavor.  

• Pluse your indgredients in the food processor instead of letting it run.  This way you can control how chunky or liquidy the salsa is.

• Allow your salsa to sit about 20 minutes before serving so the flavors meld together.

• Leftover salsa (though there may not be any!) can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa

Yield:  A little over 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of whole or diced tomatoes

½ of a red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 of a bunch of cilantro – roughly 1 good sized handful
Juice from 1 fresh lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a 10 cup capacity food processor.  Pulse until you get your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Place in a large container and allow to sit 20 minutes to blend flavors.  Serve.  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator up three to four days.