Secret Ingredient Cilantro Lime Salsa

Cilantro lime salsa is loaded with ripe Roma tomatoes, red onions, garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a secret ingredient that takes this salsa to the next level! Enjoy this vibrant and zesty salsa with tortilla chips, in burritos, or on top of enchiladas! 

I'm a lover of allll the salsas, but I think that this zesty cilantro lime salsa is the best salsa recipe! Why? Because it's the perfect combination of smooth restaurant-style and chunky salsa, with the addition of sweet bell peppers (that's the secret ingredient!) that adds so much texture, color, and flavor! 

This cilantro salsa is so quick and easy to make with the help of a food processor, and it tastes so much better than any jarred salsa that you could buy from the grocery store. If my husband had his way, he'd never eat store-bought salsa again! Homemade salsa is also great because you can customize it to your taste (lots of lime juice and fresh cilantro!) and you can control how much salt is used. 

This salsa is perfect to enjoy with tortilla chips, added to sweet potato black bean burritos, or to dip roasted red pepper hummus quesadillas into. 

How to Make Cilantro Salsa 

Roughly chop the tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, and cilantro, and add it all into the food processor. I like to mince the garlic before adding it to the food processor because I don't like getting a big chunk of garlic. Add the dried seasonings and lime juice and then pulse it until you get your desired consistency. Transfer the salsa to a glass container and then put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes prior to serving. 

More Ways to Serve it

Salsa is usually enjoyed with tortilla chips, but there are so many other ways to eat it! You can also: 

• Garnish tofu scramble with salsa
• Top lentil meat nachos with salsa
• Add it to baked southwest tofu wraps
• Use it as one layer in seven layer dip
• Top jackfruit enchiladas with it
• Top a baked potato with black beans, shredded vegan cheese, and cilantro salsa
• Use the salsa as a topping for vegan taco pasta salad

How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?

Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge and it will stay fresh for 5-7 days. 

Can You Freeze it?

Yes, you can freeze the cilantro salsa. Store it in a freezer-safe container and then put it in the freezer for 1-2 months. It's still safe to eat after 1-2 months but the quality may start to decline after this time. When you're ready to defrost it, remove the container from the freezer and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Give it a good stir before serving it. 

Ways to Adapt this Recipe

This cilantro salsa recipe is delicious just like this, but you can switch it up with the following variations: 

• Jalapeno Cilantro Salsa: Add one small, seeded, and diced jalapeno pepper to the salsa to add a little bit of heat to the salsa. 
• Roast the Vegetables: Amp up the flavor of the cilantro salsa by roasting the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bell peppers (350 degrees for 30 minutes) before blending them into salsa.
• Add Grilled Corn: Add texture, sweetness, and a delicious grilled flavor by adding fresh corn to the salsa. 
• Mix it with Rice: Combine the cilantro salsa with brown rice and jackfruit to make vegan stuffed peppers.
• Avocado Cilantro Salsa: After you make the salsa, pour it into a bowl and then gently fold in one diced avocado to give the salsa even more texture and a creamy factor!

Substitutions & FAQ

• Tomato Variation Options: Instead of Roma tomatoes, you could also use vine-ripened tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.
• Can I use canned tomatoes? I prefer to use fresh tomatoes when making salsa, but you can use (1) 28oz can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.
• What can I make with a lot of cilantro? This salsa recipe calls for one cup of cilantro, you can use the rest of the leftover cilantro to make this vegan chipotle mayo.  
• What is a good substitute for cilantro in salsa? If you don't like cilantro, you can substitute fresh basil or fresh parsley. 

Success Tips

• Roma tomatoes are the best tomatoes to use to make salsa because they don't contain a lot of juice or seeds, so they don't water down the salsa. Avoid using heirloom tomatoes because they contain a lot of moisture and seeds. 
• Red onions are the best to use for salsa because of their mild flavor, vibrant color, and crunchy texture. 
• Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers because they taste the sweetest and the bright colors are really pretty in the salsa. Avoid the green bell peppers if possible. 
• It's best to use a food processor to make the salsa, not a blender. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop everything up by hand, but the texture will be more similar to a pico de gallo than salsa. 
• If the salsa tastes acidic to you, you can add ½ tbsp of maple syrup or date syrup to balance the acidity. 
• If you accidentally overblend the salsa, you can dice 1-2 tomatoes or bell peppers and add it to the salsa to add more texture. 
• Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or you can freeze it for a future snack. 

More Vegan Cilantro Recipes You'll Love

Watermelon Kiwi Mango Salsa

Vegan Sesame Ginger Coleslaw

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa 

5-Minute Vegan Rainbow Salsa  

Want more easy vegan recipes? Join our vegan Facebook community below!

Cilantro Lime Salsa

Cilantro lime salsa is loaded with ripe Roma tomatoes, red onions, garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a secret ingredient that takes this salsa to the next level! Enjoy this vibrant and zesty salsa with tortilla chips, in burritos, or on top of enchiladas!

4.7 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 31kcal

Author: Stacey Eckert

Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 Roma tomatoes stems removed
• ▢ 1 small orange bell pepper seeds, membranes, and stem removed
• ▢ 1 small yellow bell pepper seeds, membranes, and stem removed
• ▢ ½ medium red onion
• ▢ 2 medium garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 cup fresh cilantro
• ▢ 2 tbsp lime juice (add more to taste)
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ ¼ tsp himalayan pink sea salt (add more to taste)

Instructions

• Roughly chop the tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, and fresh cilantro. Mince the garlic cloves. Make sure to remove the seeds, membranes, and stem from the bell peppers and cut off the tomato stems. Add it all to a large food processor cup.
• Add 2 tbsp of fresh lime juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp sea salt to the food processor. Put the lid on and pulse it a few times or until you are happy with the consistency of the salsa. 
• Taste the salsa and add more lime juice and salt if it's needed. Put the salsa in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill prior to serving.

Notes

• Roma tomatoes are the best tomatoes to use to make salsa because they don't contain a lot of juice or seeds, so they don't water down the salsa. Avoid using heirloom tomatoes because they contain a lot of moisture and seeds. 
• Red onions are the best to use for salsa because of their mild flavor, vibrant color, and crunchy texture.
• Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers because they taste the sweetest and the bright colors are really pretty in the salsa. Avoid the green bell peppers if possible. 
• If the salsa tastes acidic to you, you can add ½ tbsp of maple syrup or date syrup to balance the acidity. 
• Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or you can freeze it for a future snack. 

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1320IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Please rate it and leave a comment below if you have any feedback! If you post a picture on Instagram, please tag @Stacey_Homemaker and use the hashtag #StaceyHomemaker so I can see your delicious creation!

*This recipe was originally shared on 6/15/15, but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 7/3/20.