We had such an amazing Thanksgiving holiday! Lots of good food, a family 5K turkey trot, boat ride and finishing at the beach and cozy movie nights. So, with both my belly and my heart full, I’m ready to dive back into real life, work, school and all the laundry this week. Today’s recipe amuses me because I never used to like cranberry anything. I didn’t eat cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving until I was well into my 20s. I’m not really sure whether I had actually tried it and didn’t like it or if I just passed it by without a taste. But now I love the stuff! I make a 15-minute easy cranberry sauce at least a couple of times during the holiday season. I eat it for Thanksgiving dinner of course, but also love having it on hand for cranberry balsamic pork chops, whole wheat cranberry sauce muffins and just to use with sandwiches! Today I’m taking cranberries for a fun spin with this easy fresh cranberry salsa! It’s a little bit sweet, a tad bit spicy and has all kinds of bursting-in-your-mouth citrus flavor! Wondering how to make a cranberry jalapeño salsa? It’s SO easy! You put all of your ingredients into a food processor and pulse it to break everything down. You want the mixture to be a little bit chunky, so don’t let the machine just run until it’s all mush. But otherwise, that’s it! Add to the food processor, pulse a few times and serve it up! It really takes just 5 minutes! You can make this a spicy cranberry salsa by adding in a second jalapeño or just leaving some of the membranes i from the jalapeño. Taste and adjust as you want. OK, let’s discuss a few quick tips and notes about making this recipe.
Recipe Notes:
Citrus: I prefer using lime juice and zest, but you could substitute a lemon instead. I’ve also seen a cranberry orange salsa so I think even orange zest and orange juice would work here. Spicy: As mentioned, you can leave some membranes in or add a second jalapeño if you want to spice this up a bit. As is, it’s pretty mild. You need to prep this ahead of serving it because it needs to go in the fridge for at least an hour to help the flavors combine and mellow. Sugar: You could possibly get away with just ⅓ cup of sugar in this recipe, if you are looking to reduce it, but I wouldn’t go below that. (It also will depend on how tart your cranberries are.) Consistency: This salsa will release more juice as it sits. You can strain it a bit or used a slotted spoon if you need it to be drier when you go to serve it.
I love that this is such a beautiful, festive dish too! ❤️ And while it of course works for Thanksgiving, with the cranberry tie-in, it’s also a great dish to use for a holiday appetizer. That bright, gorgeous red color and the pop of green from the fresh herbs gives it such a Christmas and holiday-time vibe! (Which is lovely, too, cause I don’t know about you, but I feel like I need ALL kinds of appetizer ideas and recipes during the holiday season. There’s always so many parties!) As for serving up this easy cranberry salsa, you’ve got lots of options! I think my favorite is to pair it with cream cheese. I think cranberry and cream cheese go so well together because they really balance each other out and make a great creamy, but bright combo. (See my leftover Thanksgiving turkey cranberry cream cheese sandwich!) You can use crackers or baguette slices to put those two together for a party appetizer. Everyone will love it! But that’s not the only option!
Serving Ideas:
Lastly, I should mention that this keeps for at least a week in the fridge. The herbs begin to lose their color after a few days, but I’ve had this 10 days later and it still tastes great! I hope you have a warm and wonderful holiday season, with plenty of good eats! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn Spicy: You can add a second jalapeño or leave some of the membranes in if you want to spice this up a bit. As is, it’s pretty mild. Citrus: I prefer using lime juice and zest, but you could substitute a lemon or even an orange instead. Sugar: You could possibly get away with just ⅓ cup of sugar in this recipe, if you are looking to reduce it, but I wouldn’t go below that. Consistency: This salsa will release more juice as it sits. You can strain it a bit or used a slotted spoon if you need it to be drier. Storing: This salsa keeps for at least a week in the fridge. The herbs begin to lose their color after a few days, but I’ve had this 10 days later and it’s still great!
Cuisinart DLC-8SY Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor, White Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater New Star Foodservice 42856 Enameled Aluminum Lemon Squeezer, Yellow
