Fresh ingredients, like Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, sweet peppers and cilantro combined in your blender for a quick and perfect salsa that’s customizable to the perfect heat level. It’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

I’ve mentioned my affinity for Mexican food plenty of times, but I’ve also mentioned that I can’t handle a lot of heat. I am a complete wimp when it comes to hot wings, and hot salsa? I’ll pass. That’s why I love making my own – I can completely customize the heat intensity and keep it super mild, which my kids prefer as well.

I got this recipe from my Aunt Carol and have been making it for years, who learned it from my cousin Mexican Mother-in-Law. It’s got all the components of a great and flavorful salsa – fresh, ripe tomatoes, both hot and sweet chili peppers, cilantro, green onion, garlic and lime juice. The heat level is tempered a great deal by the sweetness of the peppers and the mild green onion. But the jalapeno is definitely going to bring the heat if you let it.

There is a ton of flavor in this salsa. The key to the heat is the jalapeno. If you don’t like heat, like us, you can get away with just using one and scraping out all of the seeds from the inside. If you like a mild heat, leave some of the seeds, or add another jalapeno. Three for a more intense heat.

You can also create a chunkier or a smoother salsa. I like my nice and smooth and easy to scoop, so I blend it til it’s a consistency that I like. I cannot tell you enough how much I LOVE my Ninja Blender (no this is not a paid endorsement). It costs a fraction of what the high end blenders cost and it is a workhorse. It’s got different blades, including paddle attachments for dough and one with a taller blade for larger quantities. I love it.