By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Salsa adds sauciness to soups, salads, (veggie) smoothies, spaghetti, sandwiches… and even foods that don’t begin with an “s!”
Salsa can elevate a meal several notches on the “zest” scale or help make health eating extremely enjoyable. Salsa can be a lowfat, high flavor alternate to gravies and sauces. Not just an accessory for chips, salsa can be used as a condiment for salads, soups, grilled entrées, baked casseroles, and all types of vegetables and grains.
Ripe, red tomatoes were the traditional base for salsas, but with ingenuity comes variety! Nowadays when we think salsa, mango, papaya, pineapple, oranges, summer squash, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, eggplant, peaches, and corn come to mind. The term “salsa” has come to mean just about any combination of chopped fruit or vegetables with hot or mild spicing.
Although most salsa ingredients are generally uncooked, chilies can be roasted, nuts and fruit can be toasted, and vegetables grilled for more flavor and a variety in texture. Roast a fresh chili or bell pepper by placing the pepper on a direct flame (right on the burner or under a broiler or on the grill) and allow to cook, turning, until the skin has blistered. If no direct flame is available, roast peppers on a baking sheet, in the oven, on high heat (400 degrees or higher). Place the roasted peppers in a plastic bag and allow to “rest” for several minutes. Remove from bag and peel, discarding the peel and seeds, chop, and add to salsa. By the way, this technique can be used for smaller eggplants, such as Thai eggplant, as well.
Here are just some fresh fruits and vegetables that stand up very nicely to grilling on the barbecue, and then used as a salsa ingredient:
- plums
- peaches
- apricots
- grapes (threading them on a skewer makes it easy)
- mango
- pineapple
- zucchini or yellow squash
- bell peppers
- sweet onions
- corn
- tomatoes
- yucca
- plantains
Take a salsa-building tour of the local grocery store or farmers’ market. Chilies can be purchased fresh, canned, or dried, selecting them on the basis of the heat desired. Bell peppers are extremely mild. Anaheim chilies are fairly mild. Moving up the scale, jalapeños and serranos are hot and habanero (also called Scotch bonnets) and Thai chilies are very hot. Removing the seeds decreases some, but not all, of the heat. If using dried chilies, you’ll want to soak them, in water or juice, prior to adding to the salsa mixing bowl.
Salsas can be sweet or savory. Try sweet combinations, such as strawberries, vinegar, maple or agave syrup, and black pepper or fresh peaches, oranges, mango, chopped chili, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.
To a basic blend of chopped onions and chopped chilies, add a combination of several ingredients such as cooked beans, sliced olives, parsley, cut corn, minced garlic, chopped bell peppers, chopped fresh or grilled pineapple, fresh or frozen mango cubes, papaya, kiwi or banana, zucchini, crookneck squash or apples (for extra flavor, grill fruit or veggies, allow to cool and then chop), avocado, grapefruit or oranges, or berries.
Salsas can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days in plastic or glass containers. Think sweet salsas for savory entrées, such as grilled mushrooms or tofu and veggie skewers dishes and Think savory salsas for grilled summer vegetables, salad dressings, dips, and as an addition for cold soups or to dress a salad.