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Zucchini salsa is a tangy, chunky salsa that turns mild zucchini into something surprisingly bold. Shredded zucchini simmers with tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, vinegar, tomato paste, and herbs until it becomes a flavorful cross between a traditional salsa and a relish.
Scoop it up with tortilla chips or spoon it over tacos, grilled chicken, burgers, eggs, sandwiches, or rice bowls. It’s a versatile condiment that adds a bright, slightly spicy kick to almost any meal. Try them with my zucchini fritters.
Here’s Why This Zucchini Salsa Recipe Works
Zucchini takes on flavor fast: Shredded zucchini is mild on its own, but it grabs onto the vinegar, garlic, jalapeno, and seasoning once everything cooks together.
Draining keeps it from turning watery: Zucchini carries a lot of moisture. Salting, draining, and squeezing it first gives the salsa a thicker, punchier texture.
Tomato paste adds body: Instead of making the salsa soupy, tomato paste gives it color, depth, and enough richness to balance the vinegar.
A short simmer pulls it together: Cooking the vegetables briefly softens the bite and concentrates the flavor while still leaving some texture.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini: Shred or finely chop it, then drain it well. Smaller pieces give the salsa a better scoopable texture.
Vinegar: Vinegar gives the salsa its tang and helps balance the mild zucchini.
Tomato paste: This gives the salsa body and a deeper tomato flavor without adding extra liquid.
Brown sugar: A little sweetness rounds out the vinegar and jalapeno so the salsa tastes balanced instead of harsh.
Jalapeno: Use one for a milder salsa or more if you want extra heat. The spice settles in after the salsa chills.
Basil: Basil gives the salsa a garden-fresh flavor that works surprisingly well with zucchini and tomato.
Recipe Tips
Salt and drain the zucchini: Give it time to release water, then squeeze it dry for a thicker salsa.
Keep the pieces small: Finely chopped vegetables give you better texture and more consistent flavor in every scoop.
Simmer uncovered: Let the extra liquid cook off naturally so the salsa thickens.
Taste after chilling: The vinegar, sweetness, and heat settle after a few hours in the refrigerator.
Follow canning instructions exactly: If you are canning the salsa, do not change the vinegar amount, processing time, or jar size in the recipe card.
How to Use Zucchini Salsa
Serve it with tortilla chips, spoon it over tacos, or use it anywhere you would use a tangy relish. It is especially good with grilled chicken, burgers, scrambled eggs, quesadillas, and rice bowls. Spoon it over my fish taco bowls.
Because it has more body than a fresh tomato salsa, it also works as a topping for sandwiches and wraps. Think of it as the thing you reach for when a meal needs acid, crunch, and a little heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Zucchini holds a lot of water, so salting, draining, and squeezing it helps keep the salsa from turning thin.
Yes. This recipe includes canning instructions. For safe home canning, follow the recipe exactly and do not change the vinegar, processing time, or jar size.
Zucchini Salsa
This salsa is a good reminder that zucchini does not have to disappear into muffins to be useful. It can hold its own in a jar, especially when vinegar, garlic, jalapeno, and tomato paste are doing some of the heavy lifting.
If you enjoy having bright, tangy toppings on hand, you’ll also love my Pickled Red Onions and Red Chimichurri for adding fresh flavor to all kinds of meals.
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Zucchini Salsa
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Ingredients
- 2 to 3 zucchini, shredded, 3 cups
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 cup
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped basil leaves
- 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 to 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a pot. Taste, and add additional salt or hot sauce if desired. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until the juices reduce down to your desired thickness. If you want all of the liquid reduced then it will take about 40 minutes.
- If you plan to can the salsa, do not reduce the liquid.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I would not recommend canning an untested salsa recipe!
Good point Barbara, thanks. Tomatoes are high in acid while zucchini is a low acid food with a higher pH. We haven’t tested this recipe for canning and we haven’t measured the overall pH of the recipe after adding the tomatoes and vinegar. Thanks for the comment.
Wow, such an interesting recipe! Very creative. And very tasty looking. I bet the cooked version would make a terrific filling for burritos. Or stuffed peppers. 🙂 Really good stuff — thanks.
Oh, yes. This would be fantastic in burritos and stuffed peppers 😉
I have never made zucchini salsa and love the idea! It’s definitely another great way to use the zucchini.
Definitely a great way to use up the last of the zucchini in the garden, thanks Angie