only 5 minutes And 7 ingredients All it takes to make this easy holiday appetizer! Cranberry Salsa is fresh, tart, sweet, spicy and super flavorful. This salsa tastes best if it rests overnight in the fridge, making it a great make-ahead recipe. Serve it alone with tortilla chips or crackers, or you can pour it over a block of vegan cream cheese for a tart and creamy treat.
I just love the bright red color of this salsa! Topped with green jalapeño slices or a garnish of cilantro or green onion, this red and green dip is perfect for your Christmas spread. I like to add extra jalapeño to spice it up (I love spice), but feel free to reduce or even omit the jalapeño depending on your spice preference.
Traditionally, spicy cranberry salsa is served poured over a block of cream cheese. A store bought vegan cream cheese would work well or I like to make homemade vegan cream cheese to be extra fancy. However, cream cheese is optional as I like this salsa served!
If you want to turn this salsa into finger food, I recommend choosing a sturdy cracker such as baguette crackers, saltines, or Ritz crackers (which are vegan!). Take each cracker and spread it with some vegan cream cheese and top with a spoonful of cranberry salsa. Garnish with some cilantro or green onion and spread on a serving dish. Voila! A nice bite-sized app perfect for parties.
This recipe is similar to my Vegan Cranberry Jalapeno Dip. The main difference is that this salsa is pulsed in a food processor to give it a finer texture, and it’s less sweet and spicy (like traditional salsa but with cranberries instead of tomatoes). Both are excellent options for vacations.
How to make Spicy Cranberry Salsa:
Add cranberries, sugar, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, 1 jalapeño, and salt to a food processor. Pulse several times, until everything is mixed and the cranberries are chopped but still have some texture. Taste and add more jalapeño if desired, depending on how spicy you like it.
Let the cranberry salsa rest for at least 15 minutes (or overnight is best), so the sugar dissolves and the flavors deepen. Stir again before serving. Serve the salsa as is or you can alternatively drizzle the salsa over vegan cream cheese for a nice creamy tart combo. Enjoy with tortilla chips or crackers. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This cranberry salsa is…
- Tart, sweet, spicy and fresh
- The perfect make-ahead holiday appetizer
- Hit the party!
Serve Spicy Cranberry Salsa with:
Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
Easy Crispy Vegan Crackers
Crispy Chewy Vegan Crackers
Quick and easy vegan cheese
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it and don’t forget to tag @itdoesnttastelike chicken on Instagram.
Hungry!
Sam Turnbull.
Spicy Cranberry Salsa
It only takes 5 minutes and 7 ingredients to make this easy holiday appetizer! Cranberry Salsa is fresh, tart, sweet, spicy and super flavorful. This salsa tastes best if it rests overnight in the fridge, making it a great make-ahead recipe. Serve it alone with tortilla chips or crackers, or you can pour it over a block of vegan cream cheese for a tart and creamy treat.
Serving: 8 Makes about 2 cups
Calories: 73kcal
material
For the cranberry salsa:
- 12 oz Fresh cranberries (2 cups)
- ½ the cup white sugar
- 6 green onion Cut approx
- ½ the cup cilantro Cut approx
- 2 table spoon Lemon juice
- 1 – 2 jalapenos (depending on spice preference) seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To serve:
- Tortilla chips or crackers
- Vegan Cream Cheese (optional)
- Jalapeno slices, cilantro, or green onion (optional for garnish)
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instructions
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Add cranberries, sugar, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, 1 jalapeño, and salt to a food processor. Pulse several times, until everything is mixed and the cranberries are chopped but still have some texture. Taste and add more jalapeño if desired, depending on how spicy you like it.
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Let the cranberry salsa rest for at least 15 minutes (or overnight is best), so the sugar dissolves and the flavors deepen. Stir again before serving. Serve the salsa as is or you can alternatively drizzle the salsa over vegan cream cheese for a nice creamy tart combo. Enjoy with tortilla chips or crackers. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Comment
Sugar Substitutes: Cranberries are very tart so you must add sweetness to this salsa to make it delicious. If you prefer to avoid granulated sugar, you can swap it out for your preferred sweetener, adjusting the sweetness to taste as needed.
nutrition
Worship: 1Serves without chips or vegan cream cheese (recipe serves 8) | Calories: 73kcal | Sugars: 19g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.04g | Monounsaturated fats: 0.01g | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.3mg