Delicious fresh salsa recipes, made with veggies right from the summer garden. I rounded up some of the best spicy, sweet, and mild homemade fresh salsa recipes so you can enjoy the summer harvest. Use produce from your garden, or visit your local farmer's market for some fresh in-season fruits and veggies!
The best garden salsa recipes
It’s that time of year when the weather is heating up and vegetable gardens are in full swing. There is something magical about growing your own vegetables and herbs! Even better when you can put them together for a delicious garden fresh meal. Fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, spicy peppers, onions, limes, fresh cilantro, and even fresh fruit are all great for making your own salsa.
I rounded up some of the best fresh salsa recipes so you can put all those garden veggies to good use. Even if you don't have a vegetable garden, summer is a great time to visit your farmer's market and check out the local produce.
Jump to:
- Tips for making fresh salsa
- Equipment for making salsa
- Pico de gallo style salsas
- Corn salsas
- Mild salsas
- Spicy salsas
- Sweet and spicy salsas
- Salsa verde recipes
- Red salsa recipes
- Cucumber salsas
- Avocado salsas
- Black bean salsas
- Fruit salsas
- Dessert salsa
- Ways to use garden fresh salsa
- Fresh Salsa Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Recipes
Tips for making fresh salsa
Use ripe, in-season produce. The best fresh salsas are made with ripe and juicy vegetables! Most vegetables can be purchased year round at the grocery store, but look into which fresh veggies are in season in your area for the best freshest tasting salsa.
De-seed your tomatoes. Some tomato varieties have a lot of seeds which can make the salsa watery. It is best to remove some of the watery seed before making salsa. Squeeze the tomatoes, or cut them open and scoop the seeds out.
Protect yourself from hot peppers! I think we’ve all probably touched our eyes after handling spicy peppers before, and it's not fun. To prevent making this mistake, I always use disposable gloves when handling spicy peppers.
Use fresh herbs. To compliment all the fresh fruits and vegetables going into your fresh garden salsa, skip the dried herbs and go for fresh ones instead. My favorite is cilantro, but if you don’t like cilantro, you can use fresh chives, green onions, or parsley.
Don’t skip the acid. One of the most important components of salsa is acid. Adding an acid brightens the flavors and brings them all together. Acid also mellows out the sharp flavor of raw garlic cloves and onion. My favorite acid for salsa is fresh lime juice, but you can also use lemon juice or vinegar depending on the salsa.
Keep some texture. If you want a smoother salsa, you can use a food processor or immersion blender, but it’s a good idea to keep a little bit of texture so it's not like a puree. For a chunkier salsa, skip the food processor, and chop veggies into smaller pieces.
Make sure to salt. Salt is crucial to bring out the natural flavors of food. If your salsa doesn’t taste quite right, it might need a little salt.
Let it sit. Fresh salsas are usually better after they sit for at least 30 minutes. This resting time allows the acid and salt to mix with and marinate the vegetables.
Equipment for making salsa
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Pico de gallo style salsas
Pico de gallo is the classic chunky salsa, made from fresh tomatoes, onions, and spicy peppers. Make the original pico de gallo, or add fruit for a fun twist.
Corn salsas
Fresh corn is a great summer vegetable and perfect in these corn salsas!
Mild salsas
These mild salsa recipes are perfect for the whole family. Plus you can always adjust the spiciness level and add more heat if you wish!
Spicy salsas
These salsas are spicy and ready to be served with a cool margarita or two.
Sweet and spicy salsas
Sweet and spicy is a great flavor combination, and works really well for salsa recipes! These salsas combine the heat of spicy peppers with the sweetness of fruit for a sweet salsa that brings the heat.
Salsa verde recipes
I love the flavor roasted tomatillos gives to these green salsa recipes.
Red salsa recipes
Class red salsa with big flavors. Get your tortilla chips ready.
Cucumber salsas
Super fresh salsas with refreshing cucumbers.
Avocado salsas
The addition of avocado makes these salsas extra creamy.
Black bean salsas
Black beans make these salsas filling and full of fiber and protein.
Fruit salsas
A great way to use up those fresh summer fruits is to put them in a salsa.
Dessert salsa
Love the idea of a fresh dessert salsa!
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Ways to use garden fresh salsa
Now that you have all these delicious homemade garden salsa recipes, how to use them? Of course you can always snack on salsa with homemade tortilla chips, but here are a few more ways to use up your favorite salsa recipe.
- Add to perfectly cooked chicken breasts
- Use for a taco salad
- Add it to breakfast burritos or these breakfast wraps
- Salsa is delicious on scrambled eggs!
- Combine with queso
- Make nachos with blackened shrimp
- Use as a topping for tacos, like these chimichurri shrimp tacos
- Make burrito bowls
- Use as an enchilada sauce
- It makes a great topping for fish or salmon
Fresh Salsa Storage
How to store fresh salsa?
Most fresh salsas can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. The longer fresh salsa sits in the fridge, the more watery it can become. Drain the excess liquid from the salsa before using again.
Can you freeze fresh salsa?
Freezing fresh salsa will cause a change in the flavor and texture of the produce, so it is not recommended to freeze it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most homemade salsas will last about 2-3 days in the refrigerator if properly stored. Fresh salsa is best within the first day or 2 it is made. Drain any excess liquid from salsa after storage.
The best tomatoes for salsa are ones that are ripe, fresh, and in season. Sometimes grocery store tomatoes can be mealy and pale in color when it's not tomato season, which doesn’t make the best salsa.
You do not have to peel tomatoes for most fresh salsa recipes.
It depends on the kind of salsa you are going for. For pico de gallo style chunky salsas, it is best to use fresh tomatoes. For restaurant style salsas, usually canned tomatoes are best.
White onions or red onions are the classic onion for salsa and pico de gallo recipes. You can also use yellow onions, sweet onions, and even green onions.
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About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
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