Salsa · Blender Restaurant-Style
Five-Minute Blender Salsa
Screen stays on while you cook
Before you start
Gather your ingredients
Swaps for whole peeled tomatoes
Instead of canned tomatoes
- Crushed or diced tomatoes: The same amount. Works in sauces and soups; the texture changes a little.
Swaps for onion
Instead of onion
- Another onion: The same amount. Yellow is the all-rounder; white is sharper and crisper; red is milder raw and adds color; sweet onions are mildest.
- Shallots: The same amount, chopped. Milder and sweeter, with a hint of garlic.
- Leeks: About 1½ times as much, white and light green parts. Milder and softer when cooked.
Swaps for jalapeños
Instead of jalapeños
- Serrano: About half as many. Hotter and brighter.
- Poblano or Anaheim pepper: About half a poblano for each jalapeño. Much milder and earthier.
- Canned diced green chiles: 2 tbsp for each jalapeño. Mild and soft; no crunch.
Wear gloves or wash your hands well after cutting hot peppers, and keep them away from your eyes.
Swaps for garlic
Instead of garlic
- Garlic powder: ⅛ tsp for each clove. Mellower and sweeter, with no bite.
- Jarred minced garlic: ½ tsp for each clove. Milder and slightly sour from the preserving liquid.
Swaps for cilantro
Instead of cilantro
- Dried cilantro: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Dried cilantro has almost no flavor; skip it as a garnish and add more of the other seasonings.
- Flat-leaf parsley + lime zest: The same amount of parsley, plus a little lime zest. Fresh and green, without the soapy taste some people get from cilantro.
- Thai basil or mint: Half as much. Sweeter and more perfumed.
Swaps for lime juice
Instead of lime juice
- Lemon juice: The same amount. Milder aroma; still bright.
- Bottled lime juice: The same amount. Flatter and more sour; fine in cooked dishes.
- Rice vinegar or white vinegar: Half as much. Sour without the citrus aroma.
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
Swaps for ground cumin
Instead of cumin
- Ground coriander: The same amount. Brighter and citrusy, less earthy.
- Chili powder: Twice as much. Contains cumin, plus chile heat and garlic.
- Caraway seeds, ground: Half as much. A related flavor, a bit sharper.
Swaps for granulated sugar
Instead of sugar
- Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
- Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
- Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.
Step 1 of 6
Put the onion, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro in the blender first, so they sit near the blade.
Step 2 of 6
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the green chiles, lime juice, salt, cumin and sugar.
Step 3 of 6
Pulse 8 to 10 times, until the salsa is mostly smooth with a few small pieces. Don't run it continuously, or it turns foamy.
Step 4 of 6
Taste and add more salt, lime or jalapeño if you like.
Step 5 of 6
Pour into a container and refrigerate so it chills and the flavors blend.
Step 6 of 6
Stir and serve with tortilla chips.
All done
Enjoy!
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