My easy Basil Tomato Salsa is a family favorite, a from-scratch snack perfect for New England summer gatherings. It's made with garden-fresh ingredients and we love it with tortilla chips!
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This easy, homemade Basil Tomato Salsa came into being a few years back when my daughter and I spent most of the summer eating Margherita pizza: a simple, summery combination of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and loads of garlic (along with mozzarella cheese on a pizza crust.)
We had a hankering for that fresh and irresistible combination all summer long—so much so that we decided to make a salsa out of those flavors.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A vibrant salsa made with New England sun-kissed garden tomatoes and plump basil. It has the fresh and fragrant flavors of Margherita pizza toppings.
- You'll love this part: You'll love how this simple from-scratch salsa is the perfect weekend snack to share with friends.
- How it's made: Dice fresh tomatoes and chop fresh basil. Toss them with aromatics and seasonings, then serve.
Jump to:
Why you'll love Tomato Basil Salsa
This tomato basil salsa recipe bears an obvious resemblance to bruschetta topping, but as my daughter wisely pointed out, bruschetta topping is a salsa. True, it doesn't have the typical salsa combination of onions, peppers, and cilantro, but in the most literal of definitions, it fits.
Once we justified this thinking, we proceeded to consume it in a frenzied manner with tortilla chips. And it is so good!
This tomato salsa with basil is the perfect way to showcase the freshest produce you can put your hands on, whether from your garden or from the farm stand. And with fresh, minced garlic it's one of the most refreshing salsas ever.
The recipe needs only six ingredients and comes together pretty fast. The flavor is delicious when served immediately, and even better if you have time to let it sit a short time for the flavors to meld.
My tomato salsa recipe with basil in it is really versatile, too: serve it with tortilla chips or crackers as an appetizer, or spoon it over a pizza crust with melted mozzarella cheese.
Serve the salsa with grilled veggies, fish dishes, or grilled chicken. Spoon it over toasted pieces of bread to make a quick bruschetta snack. It's also delicious in a grilled cheese sandwich.
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🔪 How to make Fresh Basil Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes; I prefer Roma tomatoes. This variety has less seeds and pulp, so they yield lots of diced tomato for the salsa.
- Basil: Only fresh basil will do! Get the freshest, most vibrant basil leaves you can find, with no browning.
- Garlic: Three cloves of fresh garlic, to be precise. They're minced to add to this salsa. Skip the jarred stuff as it tends to have a bitter aftertaste.
- Olive Oil: Use good quality, extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor in the salsa.
- Salt and Pepper: The finishing touch is a little salt and black pepper to bring the whole salsa together.
Dice the tomatoes
Remove the seeds and pulp and slice the tomatoes into small pieces.
Slice the basil
Stack the basil leaves and roll them up from the long edge. Run a knife through the leaves to make thin slivers.
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Mince the garlic
Do this by hand or in a food processor. Just be sure to use fresh garlic, not the bottled stuff.
Mix it all together
Stir these three ingredients together with oil, salt, and pepper. Let it sit awhile or if you cannot resist, begin eating it right away!
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Tomato Basil Salsa FAQs
Any fresh tomato will work for salsa, but my favorite type is the Roma tomato. This medium-sized, oblong variety has thick walls, so you get fewer seeds and messy pulp and more diced tomato.
Tips:
- For the best flavor use the freshest ingredients you can find: tomatoes and basil from your garden, the farmer's market, or the best-looking specimens in the produce section. Use fresh cloves of garlic, too.
In addition to tortilla chips, this salsa is also quite good with pita chips or spread over little slices of baguette.
Better still, sprinkle mozzarella over the salsa-topped baguette slices, slip them under the broiler for a minute, and you'll have little mini Margherita pizza bites!
The recipe for Fresh Basil Tomato Salsa is below, and here are more salsa recipes you might wanna try!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Fresh Basil Tomato Salsa
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Ingredients
- 10 Roma tomatoes (Regular Romas in the grocery are about 3.5 ounces each. Once seeded and chopped you will have about 4 cups.)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves removed from the stems, washed, and blotted dry
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the tomatoes:
- Slice the 10 Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and pulp. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.
Prepare the basil:
- Prepare the ½ cup fresh basil leaves: stack 3 to 4 leaves on top of each other. Roll them up from one of the long sides, then slice through the roll horizontally with a knife. Run your knife once or twice through these ribbons of basil, then add them to the bowl. Repeat with the rest of the basil leaves.
Add the rest of the ingredients:
- Finely mince the 3 cloves garlic, peeled by hand or in a food processor, and add them to the bowl. Add in the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss the ingredients together.
Serve:
- The salsa can be served immediately or allowed to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour for the flavors to meld.
- Serve the salsa with tortilla or pita chips. It can also be served on bite-sized pieces of artisan sourdough or white bread—if desired, sprinkle a little mozzarella or grated Parmesan cheese over the tops and place them under the broiler for about a minute, then serve them immediately.
- Makes about 4 cups of salsa
Notes
- For the best flavor use the freshest ingredients you can find: tomatoes and basil from your garden, the farmer's market, or the best looking specimens in the produce section. Use fresh garlic, too.
- Any fresh tomato will work for salsa, but my favorite type is the Roma tomato. This medium-sized, oblong variety has thick walls, so you get fewer seeds and messy pulp and more diced tomato.
Nutrition
Ian Buchansn says
I would like this tomato salsa to last
How can I store it for weeks and weeks?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Ian, I'm afraid I don't have a way to make it last that long. I don't recommend freezing it, and this recipe has not been tested for canning. The best thing about, really, is the fresh flavor from just-sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. And it luckily, it doesn't take long to make. My recommendation is to make it fresh and enjoy it that day. Thanks for your question!
Anonymous says
Sounds like the perfect summer delight!
Nancy Mock says
Oh if you love basil and tomatoes, this is quite a treat!
Ruby Winkles says
Can you can the salsa?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Ruby, I do not recommend canning this salsa: there is no vinegar, lemon juice, or other acids in the recipe, and tomatoes need the addition of some kind of acid in order to be safely canned. Adding an acid, plus the hot water bath process, would also change the flavor of the salsa. Sorry about that, but I do hope you get to enjoy it as a fresh salsa whipped up on the spot!
Bonnie says
Hello,
Would this recipe for be able to be preserved?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Bonnie, I haven't tried canning this salsa and unfortunately, I don't do enough canning to know if it's a good candidate. (Like, if it's acidic enough, how the basil would hold up, etc.) For now, I hope you get to enjoy some fresh!