Today, it is almost impossible to think of eating chips without including a new standby: salsa! Whether you like it hot, mild, or even prefer to step outside the box with pico de gallo salsa dips, salsa is a great way to spice up your party or even a simple snack at home. Even better, salsa nutrition labels show that the dip is often low in calories and carbs, making you feel less guilty when you indulge.
But when there are so many recipes using salsa, and salsa is made from such simple ingredients, why would you continue to buy it from the store? By sticking to a few easy rules, you can make your own classic mild salsa dip, or spice things up if you prefer. Just follow these steps adapted from these traditional southwestern salsa recipes!
Step One: make sure you have the basics. This includes tomatoes, canned or fresh, olive oil, red wine vinegar, onions, black pepper, garlic (or garlic salt) and oregano. These are the ingredients for the simplest of salsa recipes.
Step Two: consider how spicy you want your salsa to be. If you and your family like things a little bit hotter, add green chilies, chopped banana peppers, or other spicy ingredients. If you prefer things a little milder, stick with sweet green, red, and yellow peppers.
Step Three: Get creative. Consider adding fruit, such as mangoes, limes, or lemons, to your salsa to change up the taste. Fruit salsa typically tastes better if the flavor is on the milder side, but there is no rule that says you can’t add fruit to your spicy blend.
Step Four: Marinate. Personally, I prefer chunkier salsa dips in contrast, and I often use fresh cut tomatoes, fruit, and vegetables, mixed together with red vinegar and olive oil and spices. To some people, this won’t seem like the southwestern salsa recipes you’re probably picturing, which are often closer to a canned salsa bought in a store. However, I feel that chunkier salsa dips have less sodium and other unhealthy attributes, but honestly, it tastes better if you give the salsa at least an hour to let the oils, vinegars, and spices to sink in. More like this.