Healthy & Delicious: Blueberry Salsa Recipe

Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!

Recently, there was an article in Food & Wine about chef Tim Cushman, who was aiming to drop some weight in a contest with his employees. Part of his plan involved working out and eating less. Another part involved jazzing up low-fat meals with a variety of salsas. Nice.

For folks struggling with extra pounds, salsas are a fantastic addition to a diet. Usually made entirely of fruit and vegetables, they add huge flavor to food, often with negligible calories and fat. Plus, since most Americans associate them with chips, they feel like a treat.

There’s no set formula for salsas, though you'll frequently see a base produce (tomatoes, mangos, etc.), chili peppers (jalapeño, serrano, etc.), herbs (cilantro, etc.), and onions. I’ll eat any kind, but with blueberry season in full swing, I thought I’d try a sweet version using the fruit. Y’know. For kicks.

This recipe is an adaptation of one I found on a blog called My Own Sweet Thyme. It was good as written, but to give it a little more heft and sweetness, I doubled the berries. Also, for some reason, there are no serrano peppers in my neighborhood, so I substituted the more universal jalapeño and upped the quantity.

The result was a balanced, pleasant salsa that would go equally well on chips or chicken. Or, you could eat it straight from the spoon. Either way, your waistline won’t mind.