A mild Shishito pepper condiment FOR tonS of flavor & mild spice.

This salsa started with the intention to make sriracha, a spicy tangy Vietnamese condiment I put on everything.

Most sriracha is made chemicals in the ingredients list. No thank you.  I found an organic brand I like, but it still has sugar in it. Then I found a brand that’s sugar-free called Dark Star Sriracha that was pretty good.

I still decided to a homemade version of these store bought hot sauces.

Michele Tam from Nom Nom Paleo has a great recipe for sriracha using Jalapeno peppers.

I picked up some Japanese Shishito peppers  at the market because I thought they were spicy like jalapenos and perfect for sriracha.

At home, I discovered that only one out of every 10 peppers is actually spicy and the rest are very mild.

Traditionally shishito peppers are pan fried in oil for 10 to 15 minutes and served as a snack. You can buy shishito pepper plants here (the plants produce a ton of peppers) or buy a box of 30 peppers here.

Because of their mildness, I didn’t have to deseed these peppers. The final sauce was not as spicy as sriracha, but does have an amazing flavor perfect for spreading on eggs, fish, burgers and mild tasting food. This salsa/dip would also make an amazing relish replacement.

You can also use it as a dip for veggies and mix it with home made mayo for an amazing aoili. Next time I would double the recipe because this stuff went too fast.

If you don’t eat it all, it lasts forever in the refrigerator and makes the sweet, tangy, piquant addition to any meal.

Ingredients

1 pound of shishito peppers

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of  fish sauce (I use this Paleo brand)

1 red pepper, finely diced

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

optional: half a carrot, grated

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of onion, finely chopped

smoked paprika and salt to taste

optional: for more spice add 1 teaspoon of chili powder or cayenne

optional: 1 teaspoon of oil of choice if salsa is too thick or dry

How to

Mix all the ingredients together in a high powered blender or food processor.

Transfer ingredients to a pot on the stove and bring to a boil on high heat, then turn the heat way down and let it simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring every few minutes.

Let cool, taste to see if it needs any more salt or spices and transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.

Shishito pepper salsa

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This mild tasting salsa is a great accompaniment to any savory dish. Spread on eggs or meat, use as a dip or in place of regular salsa.

Author: Angela Privin

Recipe type: Dip or sauce

Cuisine: condiment

Ingredients

• 1 pound of shishito peppers
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• optional: half a carrot, grated
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of onion, finely chopped
• smoked paprika and salt to taste.
• optional: for more spice add 1 teaspoon of chili powder or cayenne
• optional: add one teaspoon of oil is the salsa is too dry or thick

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend/process until it forms a sauce.
2. Transfer to a pot and put on stove on high heat till it boils then lower heat so it can simmer for 10 minutes. Check on it and stir every few minutes so it doesn't burn.
3. Let it cool and taste to see if it needs any more spices. If it needs more tanginess add a squeeze of lemon juice.

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