Simply Homemade Salsa

I’m working from Cabo this week and have been inspired to share a frequently requested recipe for a quick salsa that you can make with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

This is a great recipe to keep on hand for those pop-up parties or when a recipe calls for salsa and you don’t want to run to the store to buy that 1 ingredient. It’s also one of my favorite giftable recipes!

MAKE IT A MIX

When pulling out the ingredients needed to make one recipe, might as well make several mixes for later while you’re at it! Place the 3 dried ingredients into a snack sized zip top baggie to stock your pantry with some fast salsa solutions.

GOT KIDS? Bring them into the kitchen!

• Let them make up a batch of these homemade mixes. This one is extremely simple for even the smallest hands. If they can hold a measuring spoon and stand at the table, they can help!
• Bring them into the kitchen to help make up a batch of the actual salsa. Kids love to help ‘make dinner’ and this recipe makes it easy for you and for them. Younger children will need a little supervision with the blender but the older ones can make it all by themselves, from scratch to finish!

THE VARIATIONS

Create an amazing salsa bar for your next party! Other than the 3 dried ingredients, the recipe calls for 2 canned ingredients – stewed tomatoes and tomatoes with chopped chilis.

The grocery is filled with a variety of flavor options for these 2 canned items that you can use to spice up your salsa selections. Here are just a few examples (your grocery may have even more)…

Stewed Tomato Options:

• Fire roasted diced tomatoes (adds a smokey flavor to the salsa)
• Garlic and onion diced tomatoes (for the real garlic lovers)
• Zesty jalapeno diced tomatoes (for the heat seekers!)
• Mexican style stewed tomatoes (more of the flavor of Mexico)

Tomatoes with Chilis Options:

• Mild (for those less adventurous in their dipping)
• Hot (they use habanero chilis…bring on the heat!)
• Lime and Cilantro (my personal favorite…adds a new layer of great flavor to the recipe)

MAKE IT A GIFT

VERSION 1: Chips and Salsa

Make several batches of the dry salsa mix.  Print the recipe and place it and the mixes in a basket or chip bowl. Now fill up the basket or bowl with the canned goods needed to make the final recipe and a bag of tortilla chips.  

VERSION 2: Salsa Bar

In a gift bag, box or container of choice, place several of the dry mixes, the printed recipe and an assortment of the canned good options listed in the variation ideas above. Write a note to the recipient explaining how they can make a variety of different salsas each night or set up a salsa bar for their next party. Adding a bag of gourmet brand tortilla chips makes this a perfect ‘foodie’ gift!

VERSION 3: Homemade Jars of Salsa

Make several batches of the salsa and fill canning jars to give them as gifts. From small 1/2 pint jars, to larger quart sized jars, you decide how much. Don’t forget to throw in a bag of tortilla chips to make it the perfect gift!

If gifting them right away, let the recipient know it needs to be refrigerated and used in the next 7 days. Or, if you want to stock your shelf with some last minute gift options, follow canning instructions to seal the jars. (Just do a web search for canning salsa and you’ll have lots of instructions to choose from!) I’ve always found doing a hot water bath method the easiest.

GOT KIDS? This is a great homemade gift idea for kids to get involved with. It’s so simple to make the mixes, they can say they made them all by themselves. For the older kids, making the jarred salsa as a gift is a great option as well.

To make it easy for you, here are some printable recipe cards with all of the ‘make a mix’ tips and variation suggestions.

Enjoy!

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