Easy Blender Salsa {2 ways!}

Happy (almost!) Cinco de Mayo! Any big fiesta plans? I'll be celebrating my birthday (AKA Quatro de Mayo) with the hubs and I'll definitely be eating some salsa. Namely, THIS easy-peasy, made in a blender, salsa. And, because I like options, I'll be eating it 2 ways: regular and chipotle style. Delicious! 

The regular version of this recipe only has 8 ingredients and it's easy to throw together. Every ingredient gets tossed in blender and, minutes later, salsa is born. The chipotle version only adds one ingredients (ahem, a chipotle pepper) and changes the flavor to a hot, smoky salsa. Equally yum. 

This recipe is adapted from my father-in-law. His is a 7 ingredient salsa...but, I can't remember which ingredient he ignores. Lime? Onion? Salt? I really don't remember! His is good, but mine is better (ha! I kid). 

Easy Blender Salsa- Two Ways

(printable recipe here)

1- 10 oz can of Rotel-style tomatoes

1- 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 lime

1/2 medium onion

4-8 pickled jalapeños (to taste- this determines your heat level), plus 1 T. jalapeño juice

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

Garlic powder to taste (start with 1/2 T and add more, if needed)

Salt to taste (start with 1/2 T and add more, if needed)

**for Chipolte flavor, add two, whole chipotles from a can (see picture below)

Grab your blender and add onion, jalapeños and jalapeño juice. Blend until finely chopped. Add cilantro, the juice from one lime, salt and garlic powder. Blend. Add rotel and tomatoes. PULSE blender just enough to combine ingredients. 

Mmmmm. Basic, delicious salsa. So good!

If you're happy with one variation of salsa, you can stop here. This batch makes enough to fill about 1 quart sized jar. 

If you'd like CHIPOTLE salsa OR TWO types of salsa, keep reading...

For chipotle salsa, add 2 chipotle peppers (from the can below, or from a similar can) to the blender and blend until combine. Done!

If you want two types of salsa (maybe for a party!), pour half of the original salsa into a pint-sized jar. With the remaining blender salsa, add ONE chipotle pepper and blend until combine. Pour into another pint-sized jar to store.  

WARNING: The chipotle pepper(s) add some significant heat. If you don't love hot salsa, decrease (or remove completely) the jalapeños and/or swap the rotel for another can of regular, diced tomatoes. The beauty of this recipe is that it's totally tailorable to your own salsa tastes.  

CONFESSION: The chipotle pepper doesn't really change the color of the original salsa. But, when I serve these salsas at a party, I like for them to look different so people know they're...well, different. Solution? I add a few drops of blue food coloring to the blender at the very end. I feel like the smoky, chipotle salsa needs to be a smokier color. Makes sense, right?? :)

There you have it...Easy Blender Salsa, Two Ways: Chipotle and Regular.

Grab some chips and get to dippin'.

Happy Cinco de Mayo weekend!

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