I knew when I stood at the counter and polished off an entire bowl of this incredible smoky salsa, that I wanted to share this recipe on the blog. My friend Alexia, whipped together this tongue craving salsa in 5 minutes as I sipped delicious wine and watched her cook (she always serves the best wine and champagne). I kept the conversation flowing as I watched her toss a few ingredients into a mini-chop food processor, zip, zip, zip and emptied the contents into a bowl which she placed on the counter in front of me. After inhaling the entire bowl of salsa and the chips that went with it, I begged for the recipe.
This salsa combines the sweet taste of fresh tomatoes with the deep smoky flavor of chipotle peppers (the ones in adobo sauce – how cute is that word??). A touch of white vinegar adds a tangy brightness that makes this salsa highly addictive (fair warning).
It’s Easy, Vegan, Healthy, and Kid Friendly
I’ve made many batches of roasted salsas (see roasted tomato salsa) but never salsa cruda (fresh salsa). What have I been waiting for? This recipe is quick, vegan, healthy, and KID FRIENDLY TOO. (Her 2 kids tried to wrestle me out of the way – but they are still shorter than me : ). Once you realize how simple this smoky salsa is to make, its hard to justify pre-packaged store versions (even from Trader Joes).
I made this recipe in a few minutes by tossing the ingredients into a blender and lightly pulsing the tomatoes, onion and peppers, vinegar, salt and chili powder to combine.
I’m working on a consistent baked tortilla chip recipe but I’ll post what I did since my husband and I ate them all. (Several chips came out hard instead of crunchy but mostly they were delicious). I must confess that shooting this blog post was challenging since I KEPT EATING the subject matter.
Thank you so much Alexia for sharing this amazing quick, easy, and kid friendly recipe!!
Recipe: Alexia’s 5 Minute Smoky Salsa
This smoky salsa tastes richer with good, sweet tomatoes. I used 2 baskets of organic cherry tomatoes because they looked like the best. I also pulsed the ingredients in a blender but you can use a mini-chop or food processor. Pulsing allows you to leave it a little chunky. I like to add cilantro to anything I can because it’s a great blood purifier and cleanser so I threw in a handful of freshly chopped organic cilantro. It also thickens the salsa.
Ingredients:
- 5 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 onion (I use a sweet onion and rinse it in cold water to cut the bite)
- 1 lime
- 2-3 chipotle peppers (these can be spicy so start with 2 and add more)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- pinch of Chile powder (optional)
- 1-3 tablespoons white or champagne vinegar (start with 1 and taste)
- 1 Bunch of chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
For a great way to reserve the unused peppers (click here).
Recipe: Home-baked Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of fresh tortillas (I used the Trader Joe’s corn and wheat ones)
- olive oil spray (or regular)
- salt (light sprinkle)
- Chipotle chili powder 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon- or light sprinkle (optional)
Instructions:
Heat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with tin foil. Take 3 or 4 tortillas and cut them into triangles (like mini pizza slices). Put them in a bowl and lightly spray with olive oil just to coat. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and chili powder and mix with hands to combine.
Spread on baking sheet so they are not touching/overlapping. This way they get crisp. ***Bake for 10 – 15/16 minutes.
***This time may vary depending on the tortillas you use and your oven. I used thicker tortillas so keep an eye on them.
