An exciting twist on summer salsa!

I absolutely love the summer because you can find such a variety of amazing fruits and veggies to crunch on when it’s too hot to cook at home. Eating fresh, cool vegetables are a great way to fill up and hydrate when days are scorching, humid, and you can’t seem to stop sweating! I love making salsa when friends come over as an easy dip, so this time around I did a twist on the typical tomato, onion, pepper salsa and added some unique ingredients that made it unique, creamy, and chalk full of anti-oxidants and healing powers.

Usually a staple in my salsas is cilantro and jalapeño, but this time around I wanted to make something different with some ingredients I already had lying around in my kitchen. I wanted this salsa to be a bit sweet with doughnut peaches, and aromatic with basil. Did you know basil has two water-soluble flavonoids that protect our cells from radiation? Basil is also a great alternative to ibuprofen and aspirin because its anti-inflammatory properties provide symptomatic relief for people with health problems like rheumatoid arthritis and even inflammatory bowel conditions.

This salsa ended up tasting so creamy we used it a few times as salad dressing. Adding avocado to salads or salsas helps in the absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants: Lycopene and Beta-Carotene. The absorption of these antioxidants increases dramatically when fresh avocado is added to your greens, tomatoes, and other veggies! Not only is avocado awesome for taste, it has special health benefits too. This salsa is a great alternative to meds when you are feeling some pain, or have a headache, and makes your taste buds happy too!

Peach Basil Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

Basil (a handful of leaves)

Heirloom Tomatoes (1 large or a few small cherry tomatoes)

1 Red Fresno Pepper

1 Padron Pepper (or add a bit of Jalapeño)

Donut Peaches (2 small) or half a regular peach/nectarine

1 Ripe Avocado

1/4 Torpedo Onion (or a bit of red onion)

½ fresh squeezed Lime

Directions:

Simply place all of the ingredients little by little into a blender and your salsa should come out super creamy! I like to add my basil and peppers last. I also let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before diving in. Hope you enjoy this simple recipe!

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Also see: Vegan Artichoke Tapenade

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Photo: Irena Stanisic