Slow-Simmered Garden Tomato Salsa

This recipe began one late-summer afternoon with a basket of sun-warmed tomatoes and a craving for something bright and fresh. Now it’s the one I come back to whenever the kitchen overflows with tomatoes — a quiet ritual that’s lasted through every season since.

This salsa is made from just a handful of fresh ingredients — sweet and tangy garden tomatoes, red onions, red peppers, and jalapeños for a little kick. The magic happens slowly as everything simmers on low heat, until the tomatoes turn glossy and rich, and the onions melt into that faint sweetness only time can bring.

I use a mix of beef tomatoes and cherry tomatoes — the beef ones for body, the cherry ones for that bright, sweet acidity. Together, they give the salsa its depth and freshness in equal measure.

I start by chopping the vegetables. The peppers, onions, and beef tomatoes are diced into medium-sized chunks — I like my salsa on the slightly chunky side. Garlic is minced finely, and the cherry tomatoes are blended into a smooth purée.

In a medium non-stick pan, I heat olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden. Then go in the peppers for a few minutes, followed by the beef tomatoes and cherry tomato purée.

It simmers gently for about 20–25 minutes, and every 7 or 8 minutes I stir through — partly to prevent sticking, partly because I can’t resist watching it come together.

When it’s reduced and thickened slightly, I add the seasoning — tomato paste, vinegar, chopped jalapeños with a spoon of their brine, salt, sugar, and spices. If you prefer, you can use lime juice instead of vinegar, but don’t skip the brine — it adds that tangy lift.

After another 10–15 minutes, the salsa deepens in colour and flavour. I then stir in a touch of cornflour slurry to give it that glossy finish. If your tomatoes are very watery, just simmer a little longer until it reaches a homogenous, spoon-coating consistency.

You’ll know it’s done when it smells rich and tangy — a mix of sweet onions, spiced tomatoes, and that faint caramel edge. It’s deeply satisfying, especially served warm with tortilla chips, or spooned over burritos, tacos, or rice bowls.

Garden Tomato Salsa

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 - 60 mins
Total Time: 1 hour - 1 hour 15 mins

Yield: 800 ml about 3-4 cups

Ingredients

Base Ingredients

• Fresh beef tomatoes – 4 medium, hand-chopped (~600 g)

• Cherry tomatoes – 200 g (~1 cup), blended into a purée

• Red onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

• Garlic – 4–5 cloves, minced

• Red pepper – ½, diced

• Olive oil – 2 tbsp (30 ml)

Seasoning

• Tomato paste – 1 tbsp

• Vinegar (white or apple cider) – 1 tbsp (15 ml)

• Pickled jalapeños – 1 tbsp, chopped

• Jalapeño brine – 1 tbsp

• Salt – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

• Sugar – ½ tbsp

• Black pepper – ¼ tsp

• Ground cumin – ¼ tsp

• Ground coriander – ¼ tsp

• Cornflour slurry – 1 tbsp (mix ½ tsp cornflour with 1 tsp water)

• Fresh coriander – small handful, chopped (for serving)

Instructions

Prep the ingredients

1. Hand-chop the beef tomatoes into medium chunks.

2. Blend the cherry tomatoes into a smooth purée.

3. Dice the red pepper and chop the red onion.

4. Mince the garlic cloves.

5. Roughly chop a small handful of fresh coriander (optional, for serving).

Cook the salsa

1. Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat.

2. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5–7 minutes until lightly golden.

3. Stir in red pepper and cook 2–3 minutes.

4. Add chopped beef tomatoes and cherry tomato purée; simmer uncovered on low-medium heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Mix in tomato paste, vinegar, chopped jalapeños and brine, salt, sugar, black pepper, cumin, and coriander powder. Simmer 10–15 minutes until thickened.

6. Stir in cornflour slurry and cook 2–3 minutes more until glossy and slightly thickened.

7. Let cool slightly before serving; garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect with tortilla chips, nachos, tacos, burritos, rice bowls, burgers, or even spooned over baked potatoes. It’s the kind of salsa that makes everything it touches taste fresher.

Storage & Practical Notes

It keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge. I often freeze it in small portions — and when defrosting, I stir in a spoon of tomato paste once it’s nearly thawed to bring it back to its fresh, homogenous texture.

Note on Tomatoes

I don’t peel the skins off garden tomatoes — they’re thin and tender enough to disappear into the salsa. But if you’re using store-bought tomatoes with thicker skins, you can blanch and peel them first.

It’s such a simple, versatile recipe — rich yet bright, comforting yet fresh. Every batch reminds me of summer afternoons, a bowl of chips on the table, and the smell of slow-cooked tomatoes filling the kitchen.

My food. My canvas. My chronicles.