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Home » Recipes » Vegan Condiments and Sauces

Published: May 3, 2022 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments

Chipotle Fresh Tomato Salsa ( copycat )

Jump to Recipe

Make your own Chipotle fresh tomato salsa at home with just 5 simple ingredients! It is vibrant, refreshing, and incredibly addictive to have. This super chunky & flavorful salsa is a great condiment for chips, burritos, tacos, and more!

A bowl of fresh tomato salsa served with spoon with chips, jalapenos, and chopped cilantro beside.

There is just something addictive about the combination of tortilla chips and salsa. Especially homemade salsa made with fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes! 

This 5 ingredients Chipotle fresh tomato salsa fit all the boxes for a good salsa. It is super duper easy to fix, and everything is ready in under 15 minutes. 😉

Jump to:
  • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
  • 🍅What you will need 
  • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
  • 🔪How to make 
  • ✔Helpful tips 
  • 🌯How to serve 
  • ❔Commonly asked questions 
  • 🍽More vegan dips and sauces
  • 📖 Recipe

💚Why you will love this recipe 

  • Incredibly easy and quick to fix and ready in minutes
  • A healthy low calorie condiment - only 15 calories per ¼ cup serving! 
  • Incredibly versatile and goes well with anything 
  • Highly customizable! 

🍅What you will need 

Ingredients needed like tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, lime, lemon, cilantro, and maple syrup.

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions

  • Tomatoes - I highly recommend using high-quality, vine-ripen tomatoes. If possible, use tomatoes with lower water content, like Roma, plum, or beefsteak tomatoes. 
  • Cilantro - If you can't stand cilantro, simply omit it, or substitute it with parsley.
  •  Jalapeño peppers - If sensitive to heat, reduce the amount used and remove the seeds. Or, you can substitute it with green peppers instead. For a spicier version, use serrano peppers in place.
  • Lime and lemon juice - Chipotle’s salsa uses a combination of both, but you could choose to use either one of them. Although bottled ones will work, I highly recommend using fresh juice as it makes a huge difference! 
  • Maple syrup - An optional ingredient, helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and lime and lemon juice. 

🔪How to make 

Simply combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed. Serve immediately, or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors develop! 

Collage showing ingredients for salsa in a bowl, then mixing them together.

✔Helpful tips 

  • Remove seeds and pulp of tomatoes to prevent watery salsa, as most of the water is stored in the seeds and pulp. This step is optional but highly recommended if you use tomatoes with higher water content. 
  • Use gloves while coring and chopping the jalapeno peppers if you have sensitive hands. 
  • If your salsa turns out to be more watery than your liking, strain it with a colander. You might have to add more lime/lemon juice and salt to bring back the flavors lost. 
  • If you have some extra time on hand, let the salsa sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop. 
  • Adjust the ratio of the ingredients to your liking! Add more lime/lemon juice for tanginess, salt for saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, and jalapenos for spiciness. 
  • Leftover salsa will last in the fridge for up to 3 days but bear in mind that it will turn more watery the longer it sits. 

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🌯How to serve 

Wondering what you can do with this Chipotle fresh tomato salsa other than dipping chips in it? Here are some ideas- 

  • Toppings - Use it to top your burrito or tacos, like these TVP tacos or tempeh taco meat. 
  • Condiment - Salsa is a must-have condiment for burrito bowls. You could even add them to salad bowls or buddha bowls as a fun condiment. 
  • Bread - Use it to top some freshly toasted baguette, and you will have yourself some homemade bruschetta! Or, level up your avocado toast game by topping it with some of this amazing salsa. 
  • Salads - I love using it to add extra flavors and texture to my chopped salads and this protein pasta salad. 
  • In cooking - you can make some delicious vegan taco pasta with it, or add it to this curry tofu scramble. 
A plate of chips served with a bowl of salsa with glasses of water and jalapeno beside.

❔Commonly asked questions 

Is salsa vegan?

Store-bought and restaurant-made salsa are often vegan as they are usually made from only tomatoes, chili peppers, spices, and seasonings. It is still recommended to turn and read the label just in case!

Why is mine watery and how can I fix it?

If you use tomatoes that contain high water content, like heirloom tomatoes, and did not core it beforehand, your salsa will most likely turn out watery. Salsa will also get soupier the longer it sits in the fridge as the tomatoes break down.

Simply strain it with a sieve sitting over a bowl to fix watery salsa. You can then add back the liquid until desired consistency is achieved. You might have to add more salt and lime/lemon juice to add back the flavors lost.

What is the best tomato to use?

Some of the best varieties of tomatoes to use in this fresh tomato salsa are Roma, beefsteak, and plum tomatoes, as they are meatier and have lower water content. Cherry tomatoes are also another great option.

A ramekin of salsa served with chips with 2 glasses of water in the background.

🍽More vegan dips and sauces

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    Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
  • A bowl of pesto with a spoon, basil leaves, and chili flakes in the background.
    Easy Thai Basil Pesto
  • A plate of hummus with cucumber slices, salad, sliced pita and lemon slices beside.
    Smoked Paprika Hummus (Vegan)
  • Chocolate hummus served with blueberries, banana and apple slices.
    Creamy Dark Chocolate Hummus

If you made this recipe, leave a rating and comment below. We would love to hear from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

📖 Recipe

A bowl of fresh tomato salsa with spoon with chips, chopped cilantro and jalapenos in the background.

Chipotle Fresh Tomato Salsa (Copycat)

Meesha
Make your own Chipotle fresh tomato salsa at home with just 5 simple ingredients! It is vibrant, refreshing, and incredibly addictive to have. This super chunky & flavorful salsa is a great condiment for chips, burritos, tacos, and more!
5 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 ¼ cup serving
Calories 18 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound tomatoes cored and finely diced *
  • ½ red onion finely diced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers **
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped ***
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (or to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)
  • ½ tablespoon maple syrup ( optional )
  • salt, to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Simply combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Give it a taste and add more seasonings, if needed.
  • Serve immediately, or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to really let the flavors develop !

Notes

*Tomatoes - I highly recommend using high-quality, vine-ripen tomatoes. If possible, use tomatoes with lower water content, like Roma, plum, or beefsteak tomatoes. 
** Jalapeño peppers - If sensitive to heat, reduce the amount used and remove the seeds. Or, you can substitute it with green peppers instead. For a spicier version, use serrano peppers in place.
***Cilantro - If you can't stand cilantro, simply omit it, or substitute it with parsley.
 
Helpful tips 
  • Remove seeds and pulp of tomatoes to prevent watery salsa, as most of the water is stored in the seeds and pulp. This step is optional but highly recommended if you use tomatoes with higher water content. 
  • Use gloves while coring and chopping the jalapeno peppers if you have sensitive hands. 
  • If your salsa turns out to be more watery than your liking, strain it with a colander. You might have to add more lime/lemon juice and salt to bring back the flavors lost. 
  • If you have some extra time on hand, let the salsa sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop. 
  • Adjust the ratio of the ingredients to your liking! Add more lime/lemon juice for tanginess, salt for saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, and jalapenos for spiciness. 
  • Leftover salsa will last in the fridge for up to 3 days but bear in mind that it will turn more watery the longer it sits. 

Save this recipe!

Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.

Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 545IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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Comments

    5 from 17 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Debra says

    August 24, 2020 at 9:47 am

    5 stars
    Quick, easy, healthy....love it!

    Reply
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Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

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