Cherry Tomato Salsa
Homemade cherry tomato salsa is easy to make, fresh, flavorful and made with just 6 ingredients. No tedious chopping required, the food processor or blender does all the work for you! It’s so easy to customize this cherry tomato salsa recipe to your liking.
If you have a surplus of cherry tomatoes, you should also try this roasted cherry tomato pasta sauce.
Why you will love this recipe
- So easy – the cherry tomatoes make this homemade salsa so easy to make. No peeling needed! The food processor (or blender) does all the work for you. You can have homemade grape tomato salsa in less than 5 minutes.
- Simple ingredients – this salsa from cherry tomatoes has just 6 ingredients, all of which are easy to find in any store and you likely have on hand. Don’t spend the money buying store bought salsa, especially if you have tomatoes growing in your garden.
- Customizable – add more or less heat (spice), more or less cilantro or even make this fire-roasted or smoky by blistering the tomatoes before blending.
- Great summer tomato salsa recipe – This salsa is the perfect way to use up your abundance of cherry tomatoes at the peak of tomato season.
Ingredients
- Red onion – red onion pairs well with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes but still provides a bite to the salsa. If you don’t have red onion, you can also make this with green onion (use just the green tips to make this salsa low FODMAP friendly).
- Jalapeno – fresh jalapeno add heat to the salsa, giving it a good kick. The salsa can handle a little more spice to offset the natural sweetness of the cherry tomatoes. If you are sensitive to heat, start with just one jalapeno and be sure to remove the seeds and the white membrane inside the pepper (that is where most of the heat is).
- Cilantro – cilantro is key to a good salsa, so I like to use a good bit. If you don’t love cilantro, you can omit it though.
- Cherry tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are slightly sweeter than other tomatoes, so they create a salsa that is slightly sweeter and really delicious. You could also use grape tomatoes (which are a little less sweet). Cherry tomatoes don’t need to be peeled before blending into salsa.
- Lime juice – lime juice helps to create the right balance of flavors and adds some needed acidity to the salsa. If you really love a kick of lime in your salsa, use more lime juice.
- Salt – salt helps to balance out all the flavors of the salsa.
How to make cherry tomato salsa
Peel and roughly chop the red onion. Cut the stem off the jalapeno and cut in half (remove the seeds and white membrane if you want a less spicy salsa). Add the onion and jalapeno to the food processor and process on high until well broken down.
Add the cilantro to the food processor and blend again until well broken down and incorporated.
Add the cherry tomatoes and pulse 15-20 times to break down the tomatoes. I like to pulse instead of blend so that you can control how chunky the salsa is. If you like a really well combined salsa, you can pulse it more as needed.
Add the lime juice and salt to the salsa and blend again. Note: If you like a less watery salsa, pour the salsa into a mesh strainer and drain off some of the liquid before adding the lime juice and salt.
Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week in a well-sealed container.
Top tips
- Blend all the vegetables together before adding the tomatoes. The salsa can get soupy if you blend the tomatoes too long.
- All tomatoes will give off different amounts of juice when blended. If you like a less “watery” salsa, strain the salsa with a mesh strainer before adding the lime juice and salt.
- Easy to customize! Make this more or less spicy, omit the cilantro if you don’t love it, etc.
- Make the salsa milder by removing the seeds and white membranes which are spicier.
- Be sure to use gloves to cut jalapeno or wash your hands immediately after handling. Do not touch your eyes after handling jalapenos (it will make them burn).
- Season to taste – you may love a little more zing from lime juice or a little extra salt.
- You can use the leaves and stems of the cilantro. Just be sure to remove any of the thick stems from the cilantro as it can get woody.
Other additions
- Fresh garlic – if you are going to add garlic, be sure to chop it first so that no one gets a large chunk of garlic in one bite of salsa
- Green onion – green onion has a mild onion flavor and is a great addition if you have it growing in the garden or have some extra in the fridge.
- Ground cumin – ground cumin can give the salsa a smoky flavor
Ways to use salsa from cherry tomatoes
- On tacos, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, etc.
- As a dip for tortilla chips or plantain chips
- On eggs or in a frittata for flavor
- On taco salad
- Mixed with shredded chicken, canned tuna or canned salmon with mashed avocado and a sprinkle of cumin for a quick meal.
- As part of any Mexican or Tex-mex inspired meal
Common questions
Can you make salsa with cherry tomatoes
Typically salsa is not made with cherry tomatoes, but I love to use cherry tomatoes when my garden is exploding with them or I find them on sale.
Cherry tomatoes are typically slightly sweeter than roma tomatoes (which are typically used when making salsa). Using cherry or grape tomatoes to make salsa produces a slightly sweeter less acidic salsa.
Do you need to peel the cherry tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes do not need to be peeled before adding them to the food processor or blender to make salsa. The peel is very thin and it doesn’t impact the texture of the salsa.
Can you make this salsa with different types of tomatoes?
You can make this salsa with any kind of tomatoes, without having to peel the tomatoes. Since the recipe isn’t made for canning, you don’t have to peel the tomatoes, regardless of the kind you use.
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can also make salsa with drained canned tomatoes.
Can you use this salsa recipe for canning?
This recipe was not written for canning. If you want to make a large batch of this cherry tomato salsa, I would recommend freezing it for long term storage.
I have not tried pressure canning myself. It’s my understanding that you would need to add some citric acid or lemon juice to the can. Also based on what I have read, the cherry tomatoes may break down too much due to the heat from canning. It’s recommended that you peel tomatoes or cook them first before canning, so this recipe is not ideal.
Can you freeze homemade salsa?
Yes! The best way to preserve this salsa for the long term is to freeze it. I recommend pouring off as much excess liquid as possible before freezing, as the tomatoes will release more liquid when the salsa is defrosting.
Want a fire-roasted flavor in your salsa?
If you want your salsa to have a more charred flavor, try blistering the tomatoes on the stove or under a broiler before processing.
Storing homemade salsa
- Fridge: Store cherry tomato salsa in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Be sure to pour off any excess liquid before freezing.
Substitutions
- Red onion – use green onion (the green and white parts) or white or yellow onion. White or yellow onion will have a stronger flavor.
- Jalapeno – use whatever spicy peppers you have on hand that you love (you may need more or less depending on the size and heat level). If you don’t love spice in your salsa, you could try a poblano pepper (be sure to remove the seeds and stem).
- Cilantro – if you don’t love cilantro or don’t have it on hand, simply omit it.
- Cherry tomatoes – you can also make this homemade salsa with grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes or any tomato you have on hand. There is no need to peel the tomatoes first since you aren’t canning this recipe.
- Lime juice – if you don’t have lime juice, try lemon juice.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Cherry Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers - stems removed
- 1/2 cup cilantro - thin stems and leaves
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 medium lime, juiced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut it into large chunks. Cut the stem from the jalapeno (or cut it in half to remove the seeds and white membrane inside to make it less spicy).
- Add the onion and jalapeno to the food process or and blend on high until well broken down.
- Add the cilantro (leaves and thin stems) to the food processor with the onion and jalapeno and pulse a few times to break down.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the food processor and pulse 10-15 times to break down tomatoes (this will be a chunky salsa) or 15-20 times for a less chunky salsa.
- Optional: Pour the salsa into a mesh strainer to drain off excess water.
- Add lime juice and salt to the salsa and stir well. Taste for seasoning, add more lime or salt as needed.
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Notes
- Blend all the vegetables together before adding the tomatoes. The salsa can get soupy if you blend the tomatoes too long.
- All tomatoes will give off different amounts of juice when blended. If you like a less “watery” salsa, strain the salsa with a mesh strainer before adding the lime juice and salt.
- Easy to customize! Make this more or less spicy, omit the cilantro if you don’t love it, etc.
- Make the salsa milder by removing the seeds and white membranes which are spicier.
- Be sure to use gloves to cut jalapeno or wash your hands immediately after handling. Do not touch your eyes after handling jalapenos (it will make them burn).
- Season to taste – you may love a little more zing from lime juice or a little extra salt.
- You can use the leaves and stems of the cilantro. Just be sure to remove any of the thick stems from the cilantro as it can get woody.
This came out really good! My husband loves it 🙂
Char thank you so much for letting me know that this turned out so well! I’m so glad your husband loved it – made my day hearing that! Thank you for coming back to leave a wonderful note!