I'm a tortilla chip snob.  My favorite place to buy them is closed on Sunday.  Many a sad Sunday has been spent chipless.  Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-a, and the chip store, all break my heart on Sunday.

More than anything I am a salsa snob.
Not in the whole Pace Picante MADE IN NEW YORK CITY kind of way either.

When Drew made this salsa I fell in love.  It became known to us as Pilgrim salsa, just so we could find a way to deem it appropriate to make for Thanksgiving.  For sure it was in the larder on the Mayflower.  FOR SURE.  It is that good.

However, Pilgrim salsa is sort of labor intensive.

Then she got me hooked on Trader Joe's Salsa Especial.  It's unreal how good it tastes.  I can and eat a whole container with no chips- just a spoon, in one sitting.

My newest love, Salsa Especial, ain't cheap.

What is a girl who needs salsa, almost as much as she needs oxygen, to do?

Find an easy recipe, and then tweak it obvs.  In my beloved Ninja.  That thing is working overtime lately.  Smoothies by day.  Salsa and Awesomesauce by night.  (Please ignore the cupcakes.  They are evil to this whole fasting from sugar nonsense.)

Just to be nice, I made two different versions,because not everyone likes to eat fire from the face of the sun.

Gringa Version
(Less spicy)
1 can Original or Mild Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 jalapeño, diced with seeds removed
Large handful of cilantro
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice

Throw everything into a blender or food processor.
Blend and EAT!
Makes 3 cups


 Señorita Version
(Way more awesome and SPICY)

1 can HOT Rotel
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
1 1/2  jalapeños, diced (Do not remove the seeds.  They contain the awesome.)
Large handful of cilantro
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice

Throw everything into a blender or food processor.
Blend and EAT!
Makes 3 cups


Kim gets it.  Who needs the dumb chips?
Just throw a straw in that action.
Or pour it in a bowl, gazpacho style.
Mmmmmmmmm.
MyFitnessPal approved.



20 Comments

  1. that is so my hubby. he loves himself some salsa. ha!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haha...I think I can honestly say I've never seen anyone "drink" salsa with a straw. Until now. Only on your blog:) Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE Salsa also. I agree, the hotter, the better. I will be making the Senorita version (minus the cilantro) later this week! Just need to muster the energy to go to the store!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome! Thanks for sharing these recipes! How adorable is Kim?! I can't wait to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Totally making the spicy version this weekend for my husband and me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is Kim seriously drinking it? Really?

    ReplyDelete
  7. what do you call a nosy pepper?


    jalapeño business.


    i'm gonna be jalapeño business now that i've had this salsa.
    you have been warned.

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow, that salsa looks delicious!
    i'm a salsa snob as well and refuse to eat it
    from a jar (blah!)
    i really need to get me a better mixer/processor..
    my little mixer does not leave it as nice as yours is looking.
    thank you for sharing the recipe, i'm going to have it try it :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can't wait to make this! My husband and I will "senorita" up this house!! Where are your favorite chips from? Before my husband up and moved me across country my fave chips were from Los Golondrinas. YUM! Now....in the land of the North East....Mexican food is hard to come by. I mean, they have Taco Bell and Chipotle.....but honest to goodness Mexican. Nope. Nada. Much sadness in my heart. Needless to say I make a ton at home. I can't even find Cojito cheese to save my life. Tomatillos....hard to come by.....and this weekend THREE grocery stores were out of cilantro. Seriously? How is that even possible.

    ReplyDelete
  10. One more thing....which model Ninja do you have?

    ReplyDelete
  11. i am a chip snob too. don't give me santitas or tostitos. those aren't real chips! my favorite never fail go to melt in your mouth grease in the bottom of the bag tortilla chips are juanita's. i live in idaho but i would have to assume that they carry them in so cal. find some. get your self a bag or two or ten and your jar of salsa and eat yourself silly!
    https://www.juanitasfinefoods.com/shop.cfm

    ReplyDelete
  12. My Mister loooves homemade salsa, but I've never actually made him any...might have to try this one, I'm sure he'd enjoy it, especially the super spicy version!

    ReplyDelete
  13. seriously julie, THANK YOU for posting this and sharing with us! cannot wait to give it a try! #salsaforlife

    ReplyDelete
  14. Finally someone else who gets the salsa need, I make it pretty much every other day, my husband doesn't get it. Looking forward to trying you recipe, Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. this looks delish! can't wait to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This sounds very much like the recipe i have created over the years. Except i like to add some red onion instead of honey, and way more cilantro. Like the whole bunch, without the stems. I make enough to fill my giant stand mixer bowl. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hey! Just made the "gringa" version yesterday and it is mightly tasty, although a little warm, even for the wimpy version. I made a heck of a mess thought cuz I could decide if I were better off to use the slicing blade on the food processor or the blending blade. Oh well...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ooh I want to try this! The Pilgrim salsa (LOVE) is labor intensive, I agree -- and usually worth it, but some days you just need salsa NOW, amirite? This looks perfect for that.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm asking for a Ninja for my birthday. Just to make this. Because I don't trust that my onion smoothie maker is up to the task. And Kim <3 <3 <3s @joyshope salsa!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete