Recipe: Glorious green salsa

The first of our three immune-boosting summer salsa is our glorious green, a lovely chunky salsa that adds a real zing to any protein you’d care to match it with. Here we are basing the salsa on the humble green pepper – less sweet than its red counterpart, it is still high in fibre and packed with nutrients.

Just 100g offers only 20 calories, they are high in vitamin C, beta carotene (the precursor of vitamin A), folic acid and vitamin B, while also being high in antioxidants some of which can help with circulatory issues.

Buy organic where possible as peppers are one of the top foods where pesticide residues can be found, so wash well if buying non-organic.

We’re matching this with kiwi fruit  – super high in vitamin C and good for immune function, as it’s shown to help against respiratory diseases.

In addition we have heart-healthy garlic which contains compounds that are anti-inflammatory, immune boosting and good for the heart, as well as metabolism boosting.

From a fresh herb point of view, we added flavour and nutrition with basil and coriander, both of which are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. 

Method

1. The apple cider vinegar included here can also aid with digestion.
2. Clean and trim the spring onions 
3. Peel and chop the garlic
4. Cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds and stalk.
5. Feather out the white inner pith and pop into your food processor.
6. Dice the green pepper
7. Peel the kiwi fruit and dice into small cubes 
8. Finely dice the green chillies and the spring onions
9. Set all the chopped veg into a mixing bowl
10. In the food processor, add the garlic, peas, herbs, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest and juice along with a pinch of salt
11. Pulse until smooth then decant into the mixing bowl with the cubed ingredients, fold everything together
12. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, black pepper and more vinegar to taste
13. Place in a clean dry airtight container such as a Kilner jar in the fridge where it will last for up to five days
14. The salsa is better after resting for at least 30 minutes to allow the vibrant ingredients to marry together