I really like dips. Queso haunts my dreams, and my mom makes an unbelievable crab dip.

While both of those are incredibly delicious, they’re not exactly the healthiest dip options to constantly have in your fridge. A staple dip in my apartment, though, is homemade salsa. The teacher man and I take turns making salsa every other week, and while mine is usually spicier (I’m a hothead!), we both follow a similar recipe, adapted from his mother’s homemade salsa recipe.

We brought our homemade salsa to my friend Gina’s Super Bowl party last weekend, and it was a hit! It made me happy to hear that Gina’s hubby was excited that I left the salsa there for everyone to enjoy after we left, and I’m hoping it makes him even happier that I’m sharing the hot version of the recipe today so he can pester Gina to make it for him whenever he gets a salsa craving. (Adapt the ingredients to your spice level!)

{Sometimes I just eat this homemade hot salsa by the spoonful.}

Homemade Hot Salsa

Ingredients

1 pound/16 ounces organic crushed tomatoes
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 of a small onion, chopped
1/4 of a medium red jalapeno, chopped (keep seeds for extra heat)
1/4 of a medium green jalapeno, chopped (keep seeds for extra heat)
1 habanero pepper (discard half the seeds for less heat)
1/2 the juice of a lime, fresh squeezed
Small spoonful of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon California Seasoned Pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I use Penzey’s Very Hot Crushed Red Pepper, but it’s not listed online)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of Spanish Style Smoked Paprika
Dash of Mexican Seasoning
Dash of oregano
Dash of Tabasco or Cholula (I prefer Cholula)
Dash of olive oil (optional)
Dash of apple cider vinegar (optional)

1. Pour the crushed tomatoes into a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Chop the cilantro, onion, green pepper and jalapenos. If you want a finer salsa (less chunky), pulse these ingredients in a food processor with a little olive oil. Dump into the bowl of crushed tomatoes and mix.

3. Add all the spices into the bowl, mix together and enjoy! It’s usually better the next day because the crushed tomatoes have had time to absorb all the spices. Enjoy!

What dips do you love? Have any refrigerator staples? Tell me your favorites in the comments section.