Let me introduce you to a quick, sweet, and spicy salsa that can please a crowd and take your dishes to new heights. The brilliant colors of this dish are matched by its bold taste — equally appetizing on tofu tacos, as a marinade for grilled tempeh, atop wholesome black bean burgers, or simply scooped onto tortilla chips, this pineapple salsa will leave you lingering over the bowl, trying not to eat it with a spoon, pondering new ways to incorporate it into your life.
Friday Night Lush Pineapple Salsa
Serves: 6-8. Prep time: ~10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh pineapple (or 2 15-oz cans of crushed pineapple)
- 1 jalopeno, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/2 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 4 tbsp minced fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, or cilantro
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp fresh lime or orange zest
Directions:
1. First, drain any excess liquid from your chopped pineapple (reserving, if you wish). In a food processor and/or chopper, add the coarsely chopped pineapple and pulse gently until the pineapple is broken up a bit. You don’t want to do too much to start – just enough so that it’s not obstructing the blades. Alternatively, if you are using canned crushed pineapple, drain and reserve the excess liquid from the cans and set the crushed pineapple aside in a large bowl.
2. Using care, use a knife or spoon to remove the seeds of the jalopeno. Reserve a few (or more) seeds if you want heat, or remove them completely if you want a milder salsa. Loosely chop the remainder of the jalopeno and carefully add it and any reserved seeds to the processor/chopper. Wash your hands!
3. Add the chopped red onion, bell peppers, and (optional) garlic to the chopper. Pulse everything together (stopping to scrape down the sides of the chopper as needed) to finely dice the veggies. You want to leave some texture here.
4. Add the minced parsley, mint, or cilantro (as you desire), and pulse momentarily. Transfer everything to a large bowl (if you set aside your crushed pineapple earlier, this would be the bowl!)
5. Add the lime juice and lime or orange zest. Stir everything well, then let chill in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to blend.
6. Serve with blue corn chips or a variety of homemade baked tortilla chips for a pretty presentation. If you reserved your pineapple juice, use that to make yourself a fruity drink (like this pineapple, coconut, and gin cocktail) and enjoy your Friday night!
Peas and Compassion 