Strawberry Basil Salsa and Sweet Chips

Spring has Sprung!

This also means grocery stores and farmers markets everywhere are again able to stock super fresh and seasonal and local produce. I can never seem to fully appreciate the extra sweetness and flavor of the ripe berries when they come in season each spring. The difference of a strawberry in May (vs January) is astounding!

And of course my love of basil is still so real! Anyone that has checked out my basil pesto recipe knows how much I love basil! The early spring, when all the garden stores give me plant envy is always tempting because my six week seedlings look nothing like the much bigger and robust basil plants that have popped up in stores seemingly overnight.

When it comes to spring recipes, what could be better than the combination of two of my favorite produces? Strawberry and Basil!!! These are two ingredients that I have randomly noticed frequent menus together, most often in sweet tooth settings 🙂

It wasn’t until a month or so ago I actually had the inspiration to try them together. I had made a quick WFM stop for fresh basil (the day I made the Italian Sausage Pizza Burgers) and impulse bought some amazingly fresh strawberries on a great sale. Because of my love of all things basil, I naturally had to smell it as I walked to my car. For some reason I did this with the strawberries too. The smell of the basil was still fresh in mind when I smelled the strawberries, and this really got me thinking. They smelled amazing separate, but smelled somehow even better together?!?!

Any onlookers in the parking lot must have been thinking I was nuts.

Anyway, this recipe came to be with a few taste tests and some experimentations (pro tip: salt does not help this recipe!) I was originally thinking the strawberry basil salsa would go super well with a sugar cookie or shortbread cookie (and I totally think they would flavor wise!) but chips and salsa are like peanut butter and jelly. This salsa needed a chip.

During one of my self cooking/learning phases, I went on a bit of a Chipotle copycat recipe bender. During this delicious stage of my life I learned a super great way to make fresh chips at home. I adapted (only slightly) that method to make the crunchy sweet chips included here! Basically, I swapped the salt and lime juice in my chipotle copycat chip for sugar and cinnamon 🙂 Yummy!

My pro-tip for serving this delicious recipe? Wait to combine the strawberry sauce with the fresh strawberries and basil until right before serving! You can totally pre dice the produce and pre mix the sauce and pre make the chips for ease of recipe prep. Waiting to mix the sauce until serving time really helps keep this fruit salsa feeling super fresh and keep the natural texture of the fresh strawberries. In my opinion, this recipe is best the day it is made 🙂

I really hope this delicious, sweet, fresh, fruity combo is something you and your friends and family will enjoy again and again! Please like, share, comment, and subscribe for more delicious recipes to come!

Strawberry Basil Salsa and Sweet Chips

• 1 Pound Strawberries, small dice
• 1/2 ounce Basil, chiffonade/dice
• 12 pack Uncooked Tortillas, cut into 1/8 ths
• Olive Oil (or other oil of your choice)
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Powdered Sugar, 1/4 cup
• 1 Tablespoon Strawberry Preserve/Jam/Jelly
• Juice of 1/2 a Lime

1. Chips
   1. Separate and cut uncooked tortillas into ‘chip shaped pieces’ or 1/8 ths
   2. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon
   3. Layer tortillas in bowl with cinnamon-sugar mixture and splashes of oil
   4. MIX! This may take a few minutes with tongs or slightly less time if you get your hands messy
   5. Single layer chips onto parchment paper and bake at 350 for about ten minutes, flipping after fiveish minutes
2. Strawberry and Basil Prep
   
   1. Strawberries require a simple cleaning/removal of the greens and a small dice. You want the dice small enough to be easily scoopable with the chips
   2. Basil is easiest to dice if you first roll it into a cigar like shape to chiffonade it (ribbon like pieces) then cross cut it to make a quick dice. See video at 3:20 for visual details
3. Sauce
   1. Combine strawberry preserves, powdered sugar, and lime juice with a wisk until well combined
4. Combine sauce with diced strawberries and basil just before serving
5. Dip that Chip and ENJOY!!!