21 Great Takes on Salsa
Oh salsa, let us count the ways we love you. Spicy or mild, smooth or chunky, smoky or fruity, crisp or creamy, salsa comes in so many iterations that we couldn't possibly pick a favorite. Whether you're looking to top your steak, dip your chips, fill your tacos, or sauce your chilaquiles, this collection of 21 flavor-packed salsa recipes is sure to have precisely what you're craving. We even have some unique riffs on the classics, like a pepita-sesame salsa macha, a pomegranate-pistachio salsa, and an avocado-green pea variation that's awesome with baked rice dishes. Keep scrolling to decide which one you'll make first.
Salsa Macha
This outside-the-box salsa is made from a fragrant blend of toasted chiles, garlic, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Spoon it over Tuna-Avocado Ceviche, grilled fish, quesadillas, tacos, Mexican-style street corn, salad, pizza, or crusty bread.
Tomatillo Salsa Cruda
2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Nú?ez's raw tomatillo salsa combines tart, fresh tomatillos; jalape?o and serrano chiles; tender scallions; and pungent cilantro for a juicy, refreshing salsa perfect for topping tacos, eggs, or tortilla chips.
Salsa Taquera
Sweetness from the tomato and tang from the tomatillos complement the mellow (but not overpowering) onion and garlic flavors in this salsa. Soaking the jalape?os and chiles de árbol tempers their piquancy without dulling their flavors.
Pomegranate Salsa with Pistachios
This fresh pomegranate salsa combines charred onion and peppers, fresh herbs, and a tart sherry vinegar reduction in flavorful balance. With a nice crunch from the pomegranate arils and chopped pistachios, this salsa is equally suited for serving with chips or for spooning over chicken or fish.
Habanero Salsa
Habanero chiles are incredibly fiery but their naturally fruity flavor is delicious with the orange juice in the salsa here. To make the salsa even sweeter (which helps balance the heat), the chiles and onions are roasted before being blended with the other ingredients.
Pico de Gallo
Matt Taylor-Gross
Pico de gallo is a traditional Mexican salsa with an emphasis on using the freshest ingredients. Tomatoes, white onions, cilantro, and lime juice are fairly standard; some versions, like this one, also contain green onions and jalape?o for an extra kick of flavor and heat. It's a versatile dish that can and should be enjoyed in limitless ways.
Hatch Chile Salsa
Hatch chile fans flock to Hatch, New Mexico, every September for the pepper's namesake festival, but you can buy the chiles online year-round. To accentuate their medium-spicy, fruity flavor, we combine them with garlic, sweet onions, and tomatillos in this super-simple salsa that's great in a burger, on enchiladas, or simply spooned over fried eggs.
Salsa Criolla (Peruvian Red Onion Relish)
Soaking red onion briefly in cold water helps temper its bite. Serve this fresh relish alongside grilled steak, roast chicken, over tacos, or anything that can use a little crisp piquancy.
Salsa Negra
Chef Carlos Salgado makes this smoky, spicy, rich salsa negra with black garlic and two types of dried chile. He also uses it to spike rice and beans, but you may want to put it on absolutely everything.
Avocado and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Chef Tim Cushman purees avocados with roasted tomatillos, garlic, and jalape?o to create a tangy guacamole-like dip that's great with tortilla chips.
Salsa Fresca
This fresh salsa from the Yucatán region of Mexico features crunchy, cool vegetables like jicama, cucumber, and radish. Or mix and match those vegetables with fresh chopped tomatillo, tomato, mango, or pineapple. Serve it as a refreshing side dish with grilled meat or as a colorful salad topper.
árbol Chile Salsa
Chef Alex Stupak's spicy, tangy salsa, made with 50 dried árbol chiles, is an amazing all-purpose hot sauce. According to Stupak, the salsa lasts indefinitely and even improves with age.
Salsa Verde Cocida
Cristina Martínez and Ben Miller of the beloved restaurant South Philly Barbacoa shared the recipe for this smooth salsa verde with serious depth of flavor. It packs a bit of piquancy from the jalape?os, but the heat is balanced by slightly sweet and tropical notes of green ground cherries, while epazote and cilantro give subtly earthy, pleasantly bitter flavors.
Pepita-Sesame Salsa Macha
Classic salsa macha is a combination of dried chiles, garlic, and peanuts. For her version, chef Traci des Jardins pairs sweet guajillo chiles with sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, giving this salsa a subtle nuttiness and crunchy texture.
Tangy Corn Salsa
Chef Maricel Presilla uses this crisp salsa to accent her Ecuadoran chowder (pictured above), as well as grilled chicken and fish. It also makes a great dip for tortilla chips. To turn up the heat, add one finely chopped fresh chile, such as cayenne or serrano.
Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Lightly charring the vegetables before pureeing them gives this salsa verde an alluring smokiness; fresh cilantro and tart lime juice added at the end make all the flavors pop.
Mango-Tomato Salsa
Fresh mangoes help balance the spiciness in this classic Mexican recipe.
Salsa de Chile Fresco Asado (Roasted Fresh Chile Salsa)
? Lucy Schaeffer
You can think of this salsa as a not-too-smooth, fresh version of your typical rusty-orange hot sauce — fresh chiles replace dried ones, fresh lime juice replaces vinegar. In its pure simplicity (no additions, no riffs), this salsa is one of chef Rick Bayless' favorites, too.
Avocado-Green Pea Salsa
? Con Poulos
This unusual, colorful salsa from chef Jose Enrique combines green peas and creamy diced avocado with a hit of lime. It's outstanding with baked rice dishes like arroz con pollo.
Salsa Casera
Use this simmered, fresh tomato sauce for chilaquiles or huevos rancheros, or sauté a few spoonfuls to start your next pot of rice, beans, or braised beef. Make extra and keep it in your refrigerator to drizzle over meals and snacks all week.
Four-Citrus Salsa
Juicy bits of orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime form the base of this vibrant salsa; green olive tapenade and sliced red onion add extra zestiness, which makes this salsa so good on everything from fish to avocado.
For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Food & Wine.
