Chips and salsa were a staple in my house growing up. It was a rare day you wouldn’t find a jar of Old El Paso and a bag of Tostitos in the pantry. And while that was the day-to-day norm for an average pick-me-up snack, there was one salsa that stood superior at any and every family gathering — my Uncle Jason’s homemade salsa recipe.
I know I’m doing that thing that people hate — writing about something personal before I just get to the damn recipe. Jason would probably hate that, too. But the legacy of his legendary dip should live on.
Image via Haley Sprankle/B+C
Jason arrived at every holiday or general hangout, giant Tupperware in-hand, filled to the brim with spicy, chunky, fresh salsa. Maybe there was an accompanying bag of Tostitos Scoops, but he undoubtedly always had Tostitos Hint of Lime chips under his arm. That was the pair — chips and salsa a la Jason.
He passed before the pandemic — cancer is a b*tch to say the least. But what he passed on to his family matters so much. His love of rock and roll, his unique sense of humor, and a salsa recipe that every guest finds a way to stand by at every party. My little sister made it for Thanksgiving, I made it on a random Tuesday — it comes out whenever the feeling comes on. Whenever we miss Jason.
So, before Cinco De Mayo and future Taco Tuesdays — two of his personal favorites — I present to you: Jason’s salsa recipe. We swore by it as he swore it was just “canned Rotel.”
How To Make Uncle Jason’s Salsa
Ingredients:
- 2 limes
- 4 garlic cloves
- A handful of fresh cilantro
- 2 cans of regular Rotel
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno
- cumin, salt, and pepper to taste
- Chop all your veggies up to your desired size. I like salsa a little chunky, but also want my veggies easily scoopable.
- Put the canned tomatoes and Rotel in a blender (or a food processor) on a pulse, but don’t fully blend it — you don’t want to make gazpacho. Pulse ingredients until desired consistency.
- Pour the mixture in a bowl and dump the diced veggies in.
- Add cumin and “lots of lime and cilantro.”
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Serve immediately, OR let it marinate in the fridge for a couple hours to get some extra flavor.
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Header photo by RODNAE Productions / PEXELS
