Today I’m sharing my homemade corn salsa recipe. It all came about a few years ago when I came home from the grocery store with corn tortilla chips, but no salsa! After staring blankly into the pantry hoping some would appear, I finally grabbed corn, black beans and a red bell pepper. And Voila! My husband’s favorite salsa was born! He’s not a big tomato fan, so he loves that it’s tomato-free. If I’m not careful, he will eat the whole batch in one sitting!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

You will need:

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 can corn (low sodium)

• 1 can black beans

• ¼ cup of pickled Jalapeños

• 2 T hot sauce

• 1 T olive oil

• cilantro for garnish

1- Use a large saucepan to sauté the diced red bell pepper in the olive oil and hot sauce

2- Pour sliced jalapeños and some of the juice into the peppers while they finish sautéing

3- Add the corn and rinsed black beans to the peppers and simmer for at least 10 minutes

4- Serve hot or cold

(Disclaimer– I do love spicy foods, so feel free to use less hot sauce/jalapeños if you are looking for a milder salsa!)

What I love most about this salsa is it’s easy. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand and it’s a huge hit at gatherings. It’s quick, cheap and healthy, what’s not to love?

And what pairs better with homemade salsa than homemade tortilla chips? They are a healthy alternative to the store bought brands and a fraction of the cost. Check out the recipe below, once you try them you will never go back!

Baked Tortilla Chips

You will need:

• corn tortillas

• salt

• optional- cayenne pepper

1- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2- Cut the corn tortillas into quarters (I use a pizza cutter)

3- Place them evenly on a baking sheet

4- Season lightly with salt (optional- sprinkle cayenne pepper to add some heat!)

5- Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges start to brown