This easy homemade low-sodium salsa is packed with all the fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors you love without the extra sodium or fillers you find in the store-bought versions!
When you start cutting salt out of your diet, you might be surprised to see how much sodium is in certain foods.
Some of the biggest culprits are processed foods like salty snacks, canned soup, or cured meats. But I was surprised to find that two tablespoons of Tostitos Chunky Salsa – Medium has 250mg of sodium!
Many brands have added sugar and fillers as well.
That’s why I love making this easy low-sodium salsa right at home! By comparison, it only has 4mg of sodium per two tablespoons. And of course, there’s no added sugar.
Salsa is so delicious to enjoy as a dip or in recipes like my Mexican Microwave Egg Scramble. Plus, it whips up in just minutes. I can have salsa ready to go any time!
If you’ve been watching your sodium intake or just want an easy, fresh salsa without unnecessary fillers or sugar, you’ll love this recipe.
How to make low-sodium salsa
Homemade salsa is so delicious and simple to make, you’ll never want to buy it from the store ever again! Plus, this recipe has way less sodium, contains no artificial ingredients, and is very affordable!
Step 1: Add the cleaned and roughly chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice to your food processor.
Step 2: Pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. I like it to still be a little bit chunky.
Step 3: Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!
Playing with the flavor of your salsa
One of my favorite things about salsa is how many different variations you can make. You can customize it to your tastes and have some fun!
If you prefer a less spicy salsa, swap out the jalapeño for a milder pepper or bell pepper. On the other hand, if you love spice, you could use something hotter like serrano peppers instead!
You can also use a variety of onions. I really like green onions, so that’s what I use here, but red onions are also very popular in salsa recipes. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
When picking out tomatoes at the store or farmers’ market, you can choose whichever variety looks the best! Tomatoes make up the bulk of salsa, so the better the tomato tastes, the better your salsa will be. If you can find them, I especially love heirloom tomatoes.
And finally, if you belong to the part of the population that thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you’re welcome to swap it out for parsley instead!
Getting the right texture
Just like the flavors, you can also customize the texture of the salsa to your preference.
If you like it super smooth, simply pulse for longer in the food processor. On the other hand, if you prefer really chunky salsa, you can skip the food processor and chop everything by hand!
Storage
Your homemade salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best flavor, I recommend eating it within 3 days.
The cilantro will wilt the fastest, so if you leave it out, you could store the salsa for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and simply add the cilantro right before serving.
More healthy recipes to try
Looking for more delicious salsa recipes or dip recipes to spice up Taco Tuesday? Here are a few more dishes I know you’ll love:
When you’ve tried this salsa please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Low-Sodium Easy Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 cocktail tomatoes (about 8 ounces, quartered)
- 2 green onions (white and light green parts only, chopped)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and chopped)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice to your food processor.
- Pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.
- Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!
This salsa is amazing. Ten times better than store bought and low sodium!!!
Has anyone tried adding fresh or dries chives to their salsa?
For anyone interested, adding a bit of apple cider vinegar to salt free salsa recipes is delicious.
Andrew – I love this idea!
I love making my own salsa, being a diabetic2. I like: onion, green & red bell pepper, carrot, parsley, and garlic cloves. Chopped and sauteed.
Hi Katherine, That’s what I love about salsas – it’s so easy to make them your own. Thanks for sharing your add-ins!
Is this recipe safe for canning the salsa too or only fresh?
Diana – Good question! I’m not a canning expert, but here are some safety guidelines for canning salsa that might help: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/salsa.html
How many days ahead of party can I make this?
Hi Pat – This salsa will have the best flavor within the first 3 days. However, you could probably make it 5 days ahead, leaving out the cilantro. Store it in the refrigerator and add the cilantro just before serving.
What is a cocktail tomato?
Hi Jennifer – Thanks for the question! Cocktail tomatoes (sometimes called Campari) are smaller than regular tomatoes but larger than cherry tomatoes. They are sweet and don’t have many seeds. If you can’t find them, feel free to use any type of tomato you like. Here’s a handy guide to different types of tomatoes: https://www.naturefresh.ca/types-of-tomatoes-guide/
I didn’t see salt in the recipe where does the 4mg of salt come from.
Hi Marlon – Tomatoes and even cilantro naturally contain a little bit of sodium. Thanks for the question.
what tomato should i use if we don’t have cocktail tomatoes in our area? i assume large cherry or a small vine tomoato
Hi Richard – Use whatever tomatoes you can find that are ripe! If they are big and seedy, you might want to remove the seeds first. You’ll need about 8 ounces’ worth. Let me know how it turns out!
Where does the 4g of sodium cone from?
Birdie – Tomatoes contain sodium.