Name: Thick and Chunky Salsa
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds ripe tomatoes , cored, seeded, and chopped; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 small red onion , chopped fine; 1 jalapeño chile , seeded and minced; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 3/4 teaspoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon lime juice

Why This Recipe Works

We seeded and salted the chopped tomatoes to combat the watered-down texture of traditional thick and chunky salsa recipes. Instead of leaving big, unappealing chunks of onions and jalapeños, we chopped these ingredients finely and mixed them with cilantro and lime juice. Adding chili powder gave this mixture depth.

Without something to bind the components, salsa can seem more like a chopped salad. We decided to make our own binder by blending some of our fresh, already diced tomatoes in the food processor, then stirring the puree into the rest of the ingredients.

Before You Begin

If time allows, let the salsa sit at room temperature for 1 hour to develop flavors before serving.

Instructions

SALT TOMATOES Place tomatoes in strainer set over bowl and sprinkle with salt; let drain 30 minutes. Discard liquid. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl.

COMBINE SALSA Process one-third of drained tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Transfer puree to bowl with onion mixture. Add remaining drained tomatoes to bowl and toss to combine. Serve. (Salsa can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.)