How to Make [SUPERFOOD] Salsa

Being half-latin, I’ve had the pleasure of growing up and experiencing foods that can only come from an abuelita’s (grandma) kitchen. I have lovely memories of making homemade tortillas, soups that looked awful but tasted like heaven, and tamales that took days of preparation with the entire family coming to lend a hand. To some of you, this may not seem unusual, but compared to my mother’s side of the family… where holiday dinners were catered, and most night’s of the week we ate out for dinner. If we ate at home, dinner consisted of my mother’s famous over-cooked broccoli covered in cheese for dinner, or wheat germ shakes for breakfast. Don’t worry, Mom’s cooking has vastly improved since those days 😉 but in the meantime, I’ve learned quite a few of abuelita’s recipes and cooking tricks- my favorite of course, are the extraordinary salsa concoctions that I take great pride in sharing today.

How to Make a MEMORABLE Salsa

I’ve learned the most important step in making a great salsa, is to take care when choosing the ingredients: look for flavor, scents, color. My uncle will go to multiple stores for that strongly scented cilantro bunch and the right chili powder, and he’s right to! The better the quality of the ingredients, the more powerful the flavor will be.

Roma tomatoes are my preferred tomato for salsa, but I do like to try new ones, and even mix them. Cilantro- my uncle will hardly bother making salsa if he can’t find a “bouquet” of fresh cilantro that scents the room. Chili powder or fresh chili pulverized- my uncle loves Gernhardt chili, but I’ve learned to experiment with chili to explore different flavors. That being said, don’t feel like you MUST stick to a specific recipe- salsa is an art, and certainly not a science.

my basic Salsa ingredients:

• Tomatoes: Roma or Heirloom are my go-to for heavy flavor. Organic, homegrown, or on the vine preferred. Sometimes I’ll mix them, rather than use one kind. Farmers markets are great for finding unique & strong tomatoes.
• Chili powder or pulverize your own. Sooooo many chilis in the world to choose from! Latin grocery stores tend to have several options to choose from.
• Onion: Vary white or red. I prefer red for their sweet flavor, but feel free to mix it up.
• Cilantro: The stronger the scent the better! Super easy to grow your own so you can always have it fresh.
• Garlic: I prefer freshly minced, but it’s hard to go wrong with any minced garlic here.
• Salt: I prefer Himalayan salt, not only because it’s healthier, but because the flavor is intense a less is used. Sea salt is my 2nd fav, and in a pinch, I’ll use good ol’ fashioned table salt.
• Lime: Hard to go wrong with a lime or lime juice. In a pinch, I’ll use lemon- try not to leave this out if you plan to make a batch that must last a few days. Lime/lemon is a great natural preservative and will make your salsa stay fresh and last longer (5 to 6 days easy.)

This is the base- you can make a great salsa with just these few ingredients. Here are a few optional ingredients I like to throw in now and then:

• Jalapeno: sliced, your choice between mild and hot.
• Mango
• Peaches
• Apples
• Pineapple
• Cucumber: I peel the skin off because it’s somewhat bitter. It’s not necessary, but I don’t want that bitter flavor in my salsa.
• Zucchini: roasted or raw- great healthy add for your salsa!
• Eggplant: roasted and chopped rather small.
• Cayenne Pepper: to taste.
• Pepper: to taste.
• Vinegar (apple cider or balsamic vinegar): Not too much, or the smell can be a bit de-appetizing, but the flavor- love the bite this gives my salsa. You know how “salt and vinegar” chips are hard to stop eating? Vinegar is addictive! It’s also great for detoxing, weight loss, and digestion.
• Frank’s hot sauce (vinegar and cayenne sauce.) I love Frank’s hot sauce and it’s surprisingly health. In place of vinegar and cayenne pepper, I’ll use this in small amounts. I’ll use a lot if I want my salsa to be “buffalo style.”

Sometimes, I’ll make an actual meal out of my salsa, in which case, I’ll heavily add:

• Chicken
• Ground beef (loose or as meatballs (sp. albondigas)

• Avocado (lots): only for immediate eating, since avocado doesn’t keep in large, long-lasting batches.
• Hard or soft boiled egg
• Black beans

A few of the unhealthy ingredients I’ve recently added for variation and a few laughs:

• Tequila
• Sugar (or healthier, xylitol)
• Rice
• Gummy Worms or other mild or sour candy

And then of course, I filled recycled tequila bottles with my salsa and gave it as gifts. The tequila bottles were a huge hit! I’ve used vodka bottles as well 😉 Feel free to get crafty- presentation can be just as fun as the process of making your salsa.

As you can see, there are a few basic factors when it comes to making a truly great salsa, but enough flexibility that you can experiment and truly make it your own.