I LOVE salsa! Yep, I do. A good, tasty salsa can help with meal prep if you’re not too sure what to make or you’re pressed for time. Some steamed veggies, a cup of beans and a spoon or two of salsa and lunch or dinner is done…it’s really that easy. A bit of salsa mixed with guacamole or avocado and you’ve got a tasty, creamy salad dressing that is bursting with flavour. You can even jazz up plain hummus with a few spoons of tasty salsa.
Now…let me explain…I love a certain salsa that I pick up from a little shop that is two hours away from my house and costs $10 a jar. It’s worth it but I don’t typically drive out that far to get it. I enjoy it when I have it then I go without for a long time or I’ll make do with a quick and easy salsa that I can make myself.
This past weekend I decided to try to make something similar to the one I mention above so I could enjoy salsa more often.
I’ll keep trying to refine it but the first attempt came out very tasty and much cheaper. I’ve included what I did on my first attempt and the biggest difference is in a richness to the sauce. Maybe next time I’ll add a bit of tomato paste to the mix to help thicken it up.
Chipotle Salsa
1 onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp allspice
1 chipotle in adobo
4 medjdool dates
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Sautée the onion until it is soft and caramelized. Add the peppers and cook them down until they are tender. I water sautée in a non-stick pan and whenever things get dry and start to stick I add some water and stir it around.
Add the diced tomatoes and allspice and let it simmer.
In a blender blend the chipotle, dates and apple cider vinegar with a little water to make it a paste. Dump it into the simmering salsa.
Once everything is well combined and the liquid has mostly evaporated stop cooking and let it cool.
Yield – Two pint jars