Super Bowl 2015 recipes: 15 fresh salsas, ranging from mild to wild (2024)

grapefruit salsa.JPG

Grapefruit and Corn Salsa.

(Matthew Mead/The Associated Press)

We're closing in on theSuper Bowl and the big showdown between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 1. For a lot of people, the game calls for a party filled with plenty of great snacks. To keep you away from bags of frozen hot wings and tubs of pre-made dips and salsas, we're going through our recipe files looking for dishes that are perfect Super Bowl party fare. Today, we've got 15 of our all-time favorite fresh salsa recipes. Bring on the tortilla chips.

Grapefruit and Corn Salsa (above): This recipe calls for using a mandoline to shave the vegetables paper thin. If you don't have one, you can use a food processor fitted with the slicing blade, though the vegetables will not be cut as thinly. 1 cup of frozen corn kernels can be used in place of fresh corn, which can be hard to find this time of year.

Chile Mango Salsa: Tropical fruit like mango is a perfect addition to salsa, since the sweetness balances out the heat of spicy peppers.

Salsa Fresca: A classic salsa made with just six ingredients. If you like it spicy, you can ramp up the heat by adding more jalapenos.

Green Onion Salsa: This salsa is typically associated with the Spanish hand pies known as empanadas, but it can be drizzled over tacos or burritos the same way you would with other salsas.

Simple Black Bean Salsa: Punch up the protein with this chunky, spicy and fiber-filled salsa. It's great on tacos or any Mexican entree.

Guajillo Salsa: Dried chiles give this salsa heat and complexity. Try it on tacos or over a plate of nachos.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa: A classic green salsa. Roasting the tomatillos brings out their natural sweetness, providing a nice counterpart to the tangy lemon and lime juice.

Tomato-Lime Salsa: This salsa is made with cherry tomatoes, which have the best flavor of the grocery store tomatoes this time of year.

Pineapple Salsa: On paper, a salsa made with marmalade doesn't seem like it should work, but we loved this flavor combination, especially with the fresh ginger kicking up the heat in a different way than the hot peppers normally associated with salsa.

Salsa Verde: A salsa made with tomatillos is unique to Mexico. It's used as a table sauce, as opposed to a green sauce in which meats and vegetables are added. Although this salsa is best eaten the day it's made, it can be kept for a second day, covered and refrigerated.

Green Tomato Salsa: This beautiful bright-green salsa has an eye-popping quality when it's part of a Super Bowl party spread featuring several different types of salsa.

Mango Pico: This vibrant salsa comes from public television's Pati Jinich.The sweet bite of mango combined with the sour-and-spicy flavors of lime and chile make this versatile salsa a hit. It only takes 10 minutes to make, and can be made up to a day in advance, covered and refrigerated.

Roasted Tomato Salsa: If you can't find high-quality hothouse tomatoes at your grocery store, canned tomatoes come to the rescue with this adaptable salsa, which can be made hotter with the addition of minced serrano or habanero chile.

Walla Walla Salsa Salsa: Former Foodday columnist Jan Roberts-Dominguez created this salsa during a camping trip. She says she only had a vague idea of how she wanted the recipe to turn out, and so packed along just about every ingredient she could think of that might work in a fresh salsa, including Walla Walla onions, roasted and peeled Anaheim chiles, garlic, tomatoes, pine nuts, olives and olive oil. The results turned out to be a masterpiece, and Roberts-Dominguez said her fellow campers devoured the bowlful in less than 10 minutes.

Grilled Tomatillo and Mango Salsa: This salsa was created to go over a burger, but it's perfect on its own. Just skip the burger steps and go straight to the salsa-making.

-- Grant Butler

503-221-8566; @grantbutler