There are some things on this planet that were just meant to be together.   Peanut butter and jelly.  Wasabi and soy sauce.  Mashed potatoes and gravy.  Sweet cherry salsa and salty tortilla chips.

Sweet.  Cherry.  Salsa.

It’s sweet.  It makes me happy.  And with salty, crispy tortilla chips?  Holy cow you guys.

This recipe came my way via my lovely sister-in-law.  She’s like, the queen of dips.  And parties.  She throws the best family parties and she makes the best dips. AND, she actually altered this recipe, which makes her more awesome, because it turned out to be a fantastic medley of flavors.

She was in the store once, and couldn’t find frozen cranberries, so instead she grabbed frozen sweet cherries. Brilliant, I tell ya.

The cherries are obviously very sweet, and just slightly tangy.  Then, the jalapenos add just a bit of heat, and the apples and cilantro add this freshness that kind of lingers in the background.  I’m really not kidding when I say that you won’t be able to stop dipping.

Now, if you aren’t big on the chip and dip thing, you could use this as a dressing – think cranberry sauce – over grilled chicken or turkey.  Not that I’d know, because I AM big on the chip and dip thing and this salsa doesn’t last long in my house.

I really love these Trader Joe’s Organic Blue Corn Tortilla chips, too…mostly because they’re delish, but also because they’re BLUE and so pretty!

Clearly you don’t need another reason to make this, but it doesn’t hurt that it takes exactly zero time to make.  Just chop a few veggies and pulse away in the food processor, and you’re done.  It’s best if it can sit in the refrigerator for a bit to let the flavors get all happy, so it’s perfect for entertaining.    Make it the day before and when your guests arrive, it’s ready!

I love the gorgeous colors from the cherries and red onion, and the little flecks of green from the apples, jalapenos and cilantro.  It’s just such a happy dish!   Pretty food makes me happy…it does you too, right?  RIGHT?

Now, this does make a LOT of salsa, but you I can promise you that it won’t last long.  I like to pour mine into a couple of large mason jars and just keep it in the refrigerator.  It usually lasts exactly 2 days.

I have a problem.  I blame my sister-in-law…she started it.  So, what do you think?  Is cherry salsa too weird, or will you give it a try?

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♥erin

Sweet Cherry Salsa

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This sweet salsa has undertones of heat and freshness from jalapenos and cilantro, and is best served with salty tortilla chips. A must try for summertime!

Serves: Approximately 6 cups of salsa

Ingredients

• 1- 12 ounce bag frozen, sweet cherries, slightly thawed
• 3 Granny Smith apples, cut into wedges (peels on)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored
• 1 medium red onion, peeled
• 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
• 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened apple juice
• zest of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Allow cherries to thaw slightly - they should still be cold but not frozen solid.
2. Chop and core apples, and cut into wedges.
3. Remove skin from onion, cut into wedges.
4. Remove seeds and finely chop jalapeno.
5. Remove seeds and chop the red bell pepper into large pieces.
6. Add cherries, onion, red pepper, and apples to a large food processor, and pulse until coarsely pureed.
7. Pour into a large bowl, and add sugar, apple juice, jalapeno, cilantro and lime zest.
8. Stir to combine.
9. Allow to refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
10. Garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.
11. Enjoy with salted tortilla chips.

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