5 Minute Garden Fresh Salsa

The BEST garden fresh salsa is full of fresh ingredients straight from your garden (or farmers’ market) and is vibrant, fresh, flavorful, easily adjustable, and ready in just 5 minutes!

Summery 5-Minute Fresh Garden Salsa Recipe

Whether you have a thriving vegetable garden or a cheap local farmers market, it’s the height of tomato season, with fresh herbs and chili peppers abundant, making it the perfect time to pull together simple, tasty dishes like stuffed tomatoes, sweet tomato chutney, and this vibrant, bright, garden fresh tomato salsa that’s bursting with flavor.

This garden fresh salsa recipe combines fresh, wholesome, garden-grown ingredients like tomato, onion, chilies, and cilantro, along with garlic, lime juice, cumin, and salt. It’s bursting with fresh color and flavor and is naturally low-fat, gluten-free, paleo, whole30, and vegan.

It’s also easily customizable. You can adjust practically any ingredient based on your flavor preference and what’s growing in your garden/available locally. Best of all, this homemade fresh salsa comes together quickly – by hand or in a food processor/blender- in just minutes.

It also tastes WAY better than any pre-packaged salsa from the grocery store, and can be enjoyed as a versatile dip, condiment, or topping at picnics, potlucks, BBQs, taco nights, Cinco de Mayo, and any time you get a salsa craving.

Looking for more Summer-ready, easy homemade salsa recipes? Check out our cucumber mango salsa, blender salsa, fresh Pico de Gallo, and roasted chili corn salsa!

The Ingredients

• Tomatoes: This homemade garden salsa is perfect for in-season tomatoes straight from your garden (or a farmer’s market). We particularly like Roma tomatoes, as they’re tender and not overly seedy. However, steak, heirloom tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes will work.
• Onion: Use white or red onion.
• Garlic: Adjust the amount to taste. Use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Green chiles: This time, we used a can of diced green chiles for mild heat and ease. However, fresh green chiles will taste delicious, too. I.e., jalapeño (mid heat), poblano (milder), serrano (hotter), habaneros (even hotter), etc.
• Cilantro: If you aren’t a fan of cilantro, use flat-leaf parsley.
• Lime juice: Use fresh lime juice (or lemon juice) for the best flavor.
• Cumin: Just a little adds an earthy, savory flavor to the tomato and onion salsa.
• Salt: Use sea salt/kosher salt instead of table salt and adjust the amount to taste.

Optional add-ins & Recipe Variations

Easily adapt and enhance the flavor and texture of this fresh garden tomato salsa to fit your mood and flavor preferences.

• Green onion: For extra fresh, herby, mildly oniony flavor.
• Avocado: For a rich and creamy element with plenty of healthy fats and antioxidants.
• Corn: Add fresh, canned, roasted, or grilled corn for extra sweetness/crunch.
• Bell pepper: For extra fresh crunch, we love adding diced red bell pepper.
• Beans: Make a heartier garden salsa with black beans or kidney beans.
• Fruit: Fruit pairs amazingly with this garden fresh salsa recipe for a sweet and savory contrast, like mango, pineapple, strawberries, or peaches.
• Other spices: Experiment with paprika and/or chili powder for extra flavor.
• Vegan feta cheese: Adds a salty, tangy creaminess to fresh tomato salsa.
• Sweetener: i.e., sugar, agave, or maple syrup – in case the tomatoes are too acidic.

How to Make Garden Fresh Salsa

Throw this homemade salsa with garden tomatoes in just minutes in a blender or finely diced, depending on your time and effort levels.

In A Blender

• 1) First, rinse, then chop the tops off the tomatoes, roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic, and juice the lime. If you’re using fresh chiles, cut off the top and de-seed them too.
• 2) Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse it to your desired consistency (chunky, slightly chunky, smooth-ish). Be careful not to over-blend it.

Add the hardest ingredients closest to the blades (onion and garlic), and tomatoes last.

Finely Chopped

1. Rinse and finely dice the tomatoes (if they’re very seedy, de-seed them first) and onion, mince the garlic and cilantro, and juice the lime.

Adjust how finely you chop the ingredients to your preference. We prefer it to be fairly tiny so you can get a bit of everything in every bite.

2. Transfer the finely chopped ingredients to a bowl along with the remaining ingredients and stir well.

For the best flavor, after preparing the fresh tomato salsa, leave it to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes (an hour or two is even better). This provides the chance for the flavors to meld and enhance. Enjoy!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Adjust the texture: You can process the garden fresh salsa until fairly chunky or only slightly chunky. Alternatively, skip the food processor and chop the ingredients into uniform pieces of your desired size.
• Adjust the heat: Lots of heat is stored in chili seeds, so if you’re using fresh chilies, adjust how much (if any) you use. Alternatively, use a hotter/milder chili.
• To avoid watery salsa: De-seed the tomatoes, especially if they’re particularly seedy/juicy.
• Tweak to taste: You can add more or less chili, lime juice, salt, etc., swap the chili, add extra ingredients, etc., to tweak the fresh garden salsa recipe to your liking.
• Leave it to rest: This will allow all the flavors to meld and enhance.

Storage Instructions

It’s a good idea to plan for ‘marinating’ time when preparing this garden fresh salsa. We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes, though overnight is even better.

Once assembled, store the fresh tomato salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. The flavors will continue to develop as it sits, so you may want to liven it up again with extra salt or lime juice between servings.

Can You Freeze Garden Salsa?

Technically, yes, this fresh tomato salsa will freeze for up to 3 months, though the taste and texture can change upon thawing, so it may need extra seasoning. 

How to Serve Garden Fresh Salsa?

• As a dip with tortilla chips, crackers, pita, vegan quesadillas, and more
• Over plant-based nachos, tostadas, enchiladas, and chilaquiles
• In vegan tacos – like Tofu tacos, cauliflower tacos, roasted veggie tacos, or black bean tacos
• In vegan burritos, burrito bowls, and other rice/grain bowls
• Stir into Spanish cauliflower rice, rice, or rice and beans for extra flavor
• In or alongside scrambled tofu or a vegan frittata
• Scooped over roasted or grilled proteins like grilled tofu steaks
• In or alongside avocado toast and Mexican/Tex-Mex-inspired vegan burgers and wraps

More Vegan Tomato Recipes

• Easy roasted cherry tomatoes
• Creamy tomato basil soup
• Vegan tomato bisque with thyme
• Spicy tomato basil pasta
• Tofu fillets with tomato herb sauce
• Mediterranean couscous salad

Photos by Alfonso Revilla