15+ Uses For Salsa, Including A Salsa Gazpacho Recipe

August 18, 2016 at 8:57 am · Filed under Recipes, Spreads-Dips-Salsa, Tip Of The Day

Salsa Gazpacho
[1] Salsa-based gazpacho (photo © R.W. Knudsen).

[2] Shrimp cocktail with salsa; add avocado and lime wedge for a “Mexican shrimp cocktail” (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

Salsa
[3] Grab your favorite salsa from the shelf and check out the 15 ideas below (photo © Mrs. Renfro’s).

If you have more salsa than you need, turn it into a refreshing gazpacho. Or use it in one of the 15 different options below. While most Americans think of salsa as a snack with tortilla chips, it began as a general sauce for cooked foods in Mexico. Tortilla chips weren’t invented until the 1940s, in Los Angeles (the history of tortilla chips).

There is no one salsa recipe: Every region of Latin America has its own style, with recipes divided between tomato-based red salsas and tomatillo-based green salsas. Within each category are many different salsa styles (see our Salsa Glossary).

You can find dozens of ways to use salsa beyond Tex-Mex. It’s a great pantry item to grab when you need to make—or fix—something, as you’ll see in the list below this salsa recipe.

BONUS: ¼ cup of tomato-based salsa counts as a one serving of vegetables!

See many more uses for salsa below.

RECIPE: SALSA GAZPACHO

Ingredients

8-ounce jar mild salsa (or your favorite type—you can even use fruit salsa)

1 cup tomato juice

1 fresh tomato, chopped and seeded

2 green onions, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon or lime (2-3 tablespoons in a medium lemon, 2 tablespoons in the average lime)

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: small dice cucumber and bell pepper, cilantro leaves or whatever you have*

Optional garnish: Greek yogurt or sour cream

Preparation

1. ROLL the room temperature lemon or lime on the counter, pressing down. This will release more juice.

2. PURÉE the salsa in a blender or food processor. Mix with the other ingredients (except garnishes) in a mixing bowl.

3. REFRIGERATE for an hour or more, covered, to allow the flavors to meld.

4. POUR into serving bowls or cups, garnish and serve.

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*Use diced avocado, chopped fresh herbs, carrot coins or radish slices, corn kernels…just look in the fridge and the pantry.

MORE USES FOR SALSA

Salsa is a versatile ingredient. Beyond Tex-Mex cuisine, you can use different types of salsa for even more variety. For example, you can use a sweeter fruit salsa to make omelet toppings/fillings or sauces for grilled meats, even as a garnish for pound cake or sorbet.

Condiment, Dip, Garnish Or Spread

Baked potato: Mix with plain yogurt or sour cream for a spicy topping.

Bruschetta or crostini: Mexican-style (the difference between bruschetta and crostini).

Cracker spread: Top a brick of cream cheese or a log of goat cheese and serve with crackers, toasts, baguette slices, etc.

Dip: Mix with ketchup, mayonnaise, plain yogurt or sour cream as a dip for chips, crudités, fries, etc.

Grilled cheese sandwich: Instead of tomato slices, use salsa—especially when tomatoes are not in season.

Ketchup substitute: From breakfast eggs to lunch burgers to meat loaf and grilled meats, poultry and seafood for dinner, salsa adds some spice.

Mac and cheese: Use as a garnish instead of bread crumbs.

Queso: Mix with cheese sauce for a queso, a popular Mexican dip and sauce (tip: you can substitute Velveeta—not as elegant but so much quicker).

Seafood: Substitute for cocktail sauce with a seafood cocktail; serve as a sauce with cooked fish.

Flavor Booster

Compound butter: Make compound butter, refrigerate, and have an “instant” sauce for anything, including proteins, rice and other grains, vegetables.

Eggs: Stir into scrambled eggs or add to frittatas, omelets and shakshouka (Eggs in Purgatory).

Hearty dishes: Perk up casseroles, soups and stews.

Marinade: Add salsa to oil and lime juice, and you don’t need extra seasonings. It’s the same for a ceviche marinade.

Tomato sauce: Use it on pasta and pizza.

Yogurt: Add salsa to plain yogurt for a savory cup of yogurt, a sauce or a dip.

Season anything: From deviled eggs to stuffed mushrooms to Bloody Marys.

Have other ideas for salsa? Let us know!

[4] Make a queso dip with salsa and cheese sauce (a quick substitute is Velveeta; photo © El Original | NYC [now closed]).

[5] This “Chicken fajita” grilled cheese adds a layer of salsa, which also works on a plain grilled cheese sandwich. Here’s the recipe from Closet Cooking (photo © Closet Cooking).