Inspiration: What’s your favorite garnish for grilled steak? Honestly, my favorite way to eat a good steak is completely plain, but sometimes I like to hunt around for other ingredients that compliment a steak well. I fell in love with this chipotle salsa when I made it once before, and it seemed like a great way to give a steak a bit of a Mexican twist.

What we Loved: To me, it seems like there are two general types of salsas – those that are bright with fresh vegetable flavors, and those that are rich and spicy. This salsa is so great because it combines the best of both worlds. It’s so crisp and fresh from all of the cold vegetables, but then the chipotles add a really smoky bite. I love it because it’s just spicy enough to have a little kick while still allowing you to taste all of the great vegetable flavors.

Helpful Hints: Since chipotles are very spicy, it’s best to add a small amount at first, and then taste test. You can always add more if it’s not spicy enough! And a great thing about this salsa is that it can be processed however you like, from very roughly chopped to a smooth puree. I like to make it somewhere in the middle.

Chipotle Salsa
Source:  Emeril Lagasse

I scaled the original recipe down to make a much smaller amount, and I also made some further changes. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

2 roma tomatoes, seeded
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
Juice from 1 small lime
1/2 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Handful cilantro
Kosher salt

1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime juice, chipotle pepper, and cilantro in a food processor.  Pulse until the salsa reaches the desired consistency.

2. Season to taste with salt. After tasting, add more chipotles if desired.

3. Serve chilled.