South of the Border Salsa

Servings: 16 Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Difficulty: Beginner
This easy to make, savory and delicious dip is homemade salsa at its finest. With creamy avocado, a little kick from a jalapeño, and a hint of garlic and lime, this tomato and onion based salsa will quickly become a family and party favorite!
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Filled to the sombrero’s brim with tomatoes, peppers, avocado, and more, South of the Border Salsa is full of fresh flavor. Served on the side with chips or as a topping for Mexican dishes, this versatile dip is irresistibly good!

south of the border salsa on serving tray

Why We Love It

This past spring was very fulfilling for me–not because of any personal milestones necessarily, but because I got a lot of kitchen cutlery! I bought myself a much needed vegetable scraper. Then my husband bought me a beautiful Nakiri knife for my birthday (it’s not strange when you know it completes a set he bought for me previously, right?).

Then I got a vegetable and fruit chopper from my littlest for Mother’s Day.

It’s funny, because at first I must admit I was skeptical about the chopper (boy oh boy, there’s a lot of parts to clean), but that quickly changed. In fact, I’ve come to realize that this little thing is absolutely amazing–that is, the sort of amazing when you want to cut up tiny amounts of veggies and fruits into perfect, little uniform squares.

south of the border salsa in base of vegetable chopper

And what type of recipe lends itself best to tiny uniform squares? Why, homemade salsa, of course! If you’ve ever had homemade salsa, you know it’s far superior to anything you can buy at the store. Thanks to my little chopper (what did I ever do without it???), I am now a homemade salsa connoisseur. I’ve come to learn that it’s quite fun to chop things into tiny squares. Once you get into the groove, it’s also fun to come up with your own salsa recipes!

This South of the Border Salsa has been perfected over the last few months and is one of my favorites. With avocados, tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, garlic and more, it has an amazing flavor that goes so well with tacos and many other of our Mexican meal faves, including Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas and Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup!

Plus making this salsa is always a good excuse now to use my vegetable chopper!

eating south of the border salsa

Why You’ll Love It

Now let me be clear: you don’t need a vegetable chopper to make South of the Border Salsa. You can use a food processor, or you can kick it old school and chop everything by hand.

If you’ve had homemade salsa in the past, then you already know how delicious it is. It’s really easy to make (even if you don’t have a certain, special tool) and is so much better for you!

Never had avocado in your salsa before? Well, then you’re in for a delicious treat. The avocado in this salsa, along with the minced garlic, adds a hearty, creamy charm to what was already a flavorful, robust base.

Avocados are not only great in this salsa, they are the star of the show in Easy Cheesy Guacamole! Make both of these great dips to take your next party, meal, or snack to the next level!

south of the border salsa ingredients

South of the Border Salsa Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (Roma or Campari preferred)
  • 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped, red onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (used as a preservative)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • dash of salt

Feeling a little extra spicy? Throw in a dash of cayenne pepper to take things up a notch!

south of the border salsa

How to make South of the Border Salsa

You’ll want to gather the following equipment:

  • vegetable chopper or food processor (use a chef’s knife in lieu of these options)
  • cutting board
  • chef’s knife
  • medium mixing bowl
  • spoon
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • plastic wrap
  • garlic mincer
  • avocado kitchen tool (optional)
  • citrus juicer (optional)
south of the border salsa

Make South of the Border Salsa in Just a Few Simple Steps:

Prep the ingredients. Whether you’re preparing this with a chopper, food processor, or simply using a knife, it’s helpful to do the following before you get started:

  • Wash and slice tomatoes
  • Pit avocado, remove skin and slice into wedges
  • Wash jalapeño pepper, cut in half and remove stem and seeds (be mindful when handling that the pepper’s spice comes from the seeds and membrane–you might want to wear gloves as a precaution)
  • Slice onion and remove outer layer
  • Chop the cilantro
  • Mince the garlic
  • Juice the lime
salsa, lime and cilantro

Dice the tomatoes, avocado, pepper and onion using a chopper, processor or chef’s knife. Add these ingredients to your mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Next, add the chopped cilantro and minced garlic; stir.

Drizzle on the lime juice, add a dash of salt and stir.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: You don’t need a lot of salt to bring out the flavors in this salsa. Start with just a dash. You can always add a little more later to suit your taste.

South of the Border Salsa tastes best when it sits in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. This gives a chance for the flavors to blend together!

south of the border salsa

Enjoy South of the Border Salsa with chips, in a salad, with grilled chicken, or alongside your favorite Mexican dish!

South of the Border Salsa Leftovers?

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days.

Kitchen Ready Betty tip: To prevent the avocado from quickly browning, place plastic wrap directly on top of the salsa in the container. Then place another layer of plastic wrap just under the lid before sealing. This double layer method helps to keep air out that causes an enzyme in the avocado to react when it’s exposed to oxygen.

South of the Border Salsa

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Prep Time 15 mins Rest Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 15 mins Difficulty: Beginner Servings: 16 Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

If you've had homemade salsa in the past, then you already know how delicious it is. It's really easy to make (even if you don't have a vegetable chopper) and is so much better for you!

The avocado and fresh garlic in this salsa adds a hearty, creamy charm to what was already a flavorful, robust base. Enjoy this as a dip with chips, or as a topping on your favorite Mexican dish!

South of the Border Salsa

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How to Make South of the Border Salsa

  1. Prep the ingredients:

    Wash and slice tomatoes

    Pit avocado, remove skin and slice into wedges

    Wash jalapeño pepper, cut in half and remove stem and seeds

    Slice onion and remove outer layer

    Chop the cilantro

    Mince the garlic

    Juice the lime

  2. Dice the tomatoes, avocado, pepper and onion using a chopper, processor or chef's knife. Add these ingredients to your mixing bowl and stir to combine.

  3. Next, add the chopped cilantro and minced garlic; stir.

  4. Drizzle on the lime juice, add a dash of salt and stir.

    You don't need a lot of salt to bring out the flavors in this salsa. Start with just a dash. You can always add a little more later on to suit your taste.
  5. South of the Border Salsa tastes best when it sits in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. This gives a chance for the flavors to blend together!

  6. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days.

    To prevent the avocado from quickly browning, place plastic wrap directly on top of the salsa in the container. Then place another layer of plastic wrap just under the lid before sealing. This double layer method helps to keep air out that causes an enzyme in the avocado to react when it's exposed to oxygen.

Note

This recipe makes about 5 cups.

I always use vine ripe tomatoes for this recipe. Avoid using overly ripe tomatoes--they'll be too watery and more acidic.

When picking out an avocado, choose one that's slightly soft. If it's too squishy, it's too ripe and will not hold up well in this recipe.

Please use freshly squeezed lime juice for this. It tastes so much better!

Keywords: salsa, Mexican, avocados, dip, appetizer, entertaining, fresh tomatoes, garlic

Some food for thought....

Expand All:
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?

Fresh garlic is so much better in this. You can use powder, but it won't taste the same. 

How about adding corn?

Fresh or defrosted frozen corn would be excellent in this! I would add 1/4 cup.

Can I freeze this?

I would advise against freezing, This is very water based and I don't think it would defrost well. Plus the avocado will turn brown.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag #kitchenreadybetty if you made this recipe. Follow @kitchenreadybetty on Instagram for more recipes!

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Betty Weand

Food Blogger

Hi, I'm Betty! I live in Pennsylvania with my 2 human sons, 2 furry sons and my wonderful and supportive husband, who is my main cooking muse. When I'm not busy cooking or writing, I'm lifting a barbell, answering presidential trivia, thinking about the ocean, or going on long walks with my pups.

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