Creamy Avocado Salsa
This creamy avocado salsa recipe is queso-adjacent yet dairy-free, and made with just five simple ingredients. Perfect for tacos, bowls, nachos, or dipping chips.
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes or 3-4 small plum (Roma) tomatoes, roughly 10 ounces
- 1 jalapeño remove seeds and membranes for less heat, or leave them in for more
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium ripe avocado pit removed
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, jalapeño, and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened and the skins start to loosen.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes, jalapeño, and garlic to a blender (don't add water, as tomatoes provide enough liquid).
- Add the avocado and salt.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt or spice level if necessary.
- Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
- For a spicier version: Add ¼ cup cashews to the pot while the tomatos simmer, then blend with ⅛ cup pickled jalapeños, 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño juice, 1 chile de árbol (optional), and ¾ cup of the tomato cooking water for a thinner pourable salsa. You may need to add a touch more salt to taste.
- Plum (Roma) tomatoes make a slightly thicker salsa. Vine-ripened tomatoes make it lighter and saucier. Both work great, just adjust the number based on size.
- Tomato sizes vary a lot. If your tomatoes are very large, use 2. If they’re small (especially Roma), use 3–4. Aim for 10 ounces.
- Jalapeño heat varies. If the jalapeño has threads or lines on the outside, it's likely quite hot. For this salsa, I prefer using smooth, solid green jalapeños. To reduce the spiciness, you can always remove the membrane and seeds.
- For more heat, add 1-2 dried chile de árbol (start with one as they are quite hot).
Nutrition
Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg
