Easy Tangy Chilli Salsa recipe

If you’re a fan of spicy things, this recipe for a tangy chilli salsa ought to be right up your street. While a traditional salsa incorporates tomatoes, chillies and onions, this has no tomatoes. Instead, the addition of balsamic vinegar and a small amount of sweetener make this salsa a perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy.

If you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers (WW), Noom or any other weight loss plan you can usually count this salsa as free or easily within your allowances, of course always check your plan for advice.

Benefits of Chillies or chilli Peppers

Members of the nightshade family, chilli peppers are closely related to (bell) peppers and tomatoes, known for their intense and spicy flavours. While they offer a delicious kick to many a dish, they also come with some surprising health benefits.

In conjunction with a healthy diet and decent level of activity, chilli peppers can contribute towards weight loss as they are low in both calories and fat. In addition, some studies also show that they can raise metabolism.

Chilli peppers are crammed full of vitamins and minerals. However, because you usually eat such small amounts, the impact they can have on your body is minimal.

Types of Chilli Peppers

As I’m sure we are all aware, some chillies look evil but are pleasantly mild, whereas others look cute and inoffensive but pack an almighty punch.

It’s hard to know what will offer a moderate level of spice and what will blow your head off. The strength of chilli peppers is measured on the Scoville scale, named after Wilbur Scoville, who used humans to test the potency of chillies.

Of course, the strength can also depend on other factors, such as the environment in which they’ve been grown and their size.

Here are just three of the main chillies you will be able to get your hands on in the UK:

• The Scotch Bonnet is a Jamaican pepper, red or yellow in colour. They are a very versatile variety of chilli pepper.

Scoville score: 350,000

• The Jalapeño pepper originates from Mexico. It is most commonly picked and eaten while they are still green. However, if left for longer to ripen, they would be vivid red in colour.

Scoville score: 10,000

• The Pimento pepper (also known as Pimiento) is named after the Portuguese term for chilli peppers. It comes in lots of different varieties, but they are mostly fairly sweet but with a little kick. Pimento peppers are often found pickled in jars.

Scoville score: 500

My Tangy Chilli Salsa

I adore this chilli salsa recipe as it is a versatile addition to my regular meal preparation. If we are watching something on the TV and craving something to eat, a small amount of this, along with some crunchy veggie sticks, is perfect. Likewise, I have also made this low-calorie salsa to serve warm alongside griddled halloumi.

If you like this you might also like these recipes

If this recipe is something you like then here are some other popular recipes I think you might like.

Roti with spiced cauliflower

Sweet potato and spinach quesadilla

Moroccan tagine

Cajun chicken

Chicken and lime tacos

Refried beans, the healthier way!

Shakshuka

Tex Mex Quinoa

If you like dips like this tangy chilli salsa then be sure to check out my dip directory full of all my tasty dip recipes perfect for any BBQ or party! The selection includes a vegan red pepper dip, spicy lentil dip, coleslaw, tomato herb and lime salsa and red pepper houmous.

You might also like to check my BBQ guide and see if there are any new BBQ foods you might not have considered before like falafel burgers, pork burgers, cajun chicken and sticky chicken. I also have a guide to healthy meat choices if that helps too.

If you go to a Slimming World group and need ideas for foods for a taster session or perhaps you are organising a healthy party then this article has lots of good ideas you may find helpful! Ideas include Tomato and mozzarella salad, Bruschetta pasta salad, 5 homemade salad dressings and Homemade hash browns.

Print

If you found this helpful please share!