Fresh Rainbow Salsa
I love coming up with easy healthy recipes that both kids and adults will love! This fresh rainbow salsa has enough flavour to keep the grown-ups happy while getting kids excited about trying a rainbow of vegetables!
Rainbows are a constant theme with my crew, and could you blame them? Hopeful, pretty, and almost magical – rainbows are always something to smile about. It’s also great to get kids thinking about eating a “rainbow of vegetables” because the different colours of vegetables often relates to different vitamins present in those vegetables. While there is a huge focus on leafy greens right now, we really want to be eating the rainbow!
I wanted to come up with some healthy rainbow-inspired meals to reinforce this concept – and encourage the kids to try new vegetables within the context of “eating a rainbow.” Not to mention, I love a good themed-challenge!
I came up with this rainbow salsa recipe, a rainbow spaghetti, a rainbow coleslaw, and a rainbow smoothie! Of course, we also worked the rainbow angle into some desserts – but I really love it when we are able to make healthy snacks and meals just as exciting as dessert recipes!
First, I had to brainstorm some vegetables for each colour of the rainbow that would work nicely in a salsa. This is what I came up with:
- Red: Tomatoes & Chili Pepper paste (or whole chili peppers)
- Orange: Bell peppers
- Yellow: Corn
- Green: Cilantro & broad beans
- Blue: Blue corn tortilla chips
- Indigo: Blue corn (also called purple corn)
- Purple: Red onions
Of course, use whatever you have on hand that will work nicely. While I really love broad beans, they aren’t a really typical salsa ingredient – and the blue corn can have a somewhat gritty texture that not everyone enjoys. You can substitute the blue corn with black beans if you prefer that texture.
Mix equal portions of all of the vegetables (leaving out the cilantro) with:
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (I used Gourmet Gardens Chili Pepper puree/paste)
- Pinch salt
Optionally, you can add a squeeze of lime or lemon and a bit of minced garlic – but not everyone enjoys fresh garlic in salsa (or talking to people who have just enjoyed fresh garlic in salsa).
Add in half of the cilantro and let the salsa marinate for a bit if you can. The fresh rainbow salsa can be enjoyed right away, but it is definitely better if given a chance to rest and marinate, even overnight.
Add the remaining fresh cilantro just before serving. We enjoyed this with blue corn tortilla chips, on top of a Spanish rice & ground beef dish, and sprinkled over top of avocado & toast (another favourite snack).
This fresh salsa will last for up to a week in the fridge.
Which vegetables would you use to make a fresh rainbow salsa?
I’ve included a free printable version of this recipe below:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.
Fresh Rainbow Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 roma or beefsteak tomatoes, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 large orange bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- Handful chopped fresh cilantro
- 2/3 cup chopped red onion (about half of a small red onion)
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Check out our other Appetizer Recipes here:
Check out our other Vegetable Recipes here:
