San Antonio Summer: Pickle Salsa
That Campy Telenovela that started it all
I owe this superb snack to my mom. Never heard or seen a pickle salsa in my life. Bank in high-school, circa 1991-1995, there was a gloriously campy telenovela called Dos Mujeres un Camino. It starred none other than Eric Estrada of the classic CHIP’s cheesy TV show fame from the early eighties. Look it up kiddos. Now the telenovela and Eric’s Spanish weren’t exactly that good, but we watched it every night.
For those of you that have any sort of memory of it, it involved truckers, semi-trailers, a roadside restaurant, drug-dealers, a rando rodeo, and special guest appearances by the Mexican norteño band BRONCO, and also Selena’s telenovela debut. Half the time, the story line and plot made absolutely no sense but it didn’t matter. It was dramatic, trashy, incredibly outrageous and we loved it. This pickle salsa became part of the snack rotation whenever we watched and it’s been a staple for every family gathering.
Mom You’re Doggam Genius
I’ve seen a few pickle salsa recipes out there on the webs, but my Mama Y’s version is pretty simple and brand specific. As we took in the nightly television masterpiece of that telenovela, we usually had popcorn, some pickles, candy, chips and salsa, or Ritz crackers and salsa. Mom loves her some Ritz crackers so that pairing wasn’t too unusual for our house. We didn’t usually buy green salsa since Buela kept production up weekly, but hers was just a bit too spicy for mom to snack on. Instead, she’d buy the next best thing in her opinion, which was Herdez Salsa Verde in mild.
She would add diced roma tomatoes and onion to the tangy salsa verde and it would hit the spot. As I said we also ate pickles, specifically the Vlassic Zesty Dill Spears, as we snacked. So the natural progression of just adding the pickles to the salsa stemmed from realizing how well that salsa verde with tomato and onion paired with the pickle. That addition just took it over the top. Honestly, I really don’t remember how that combo happened and neither does she. It just matters that it happened and we’re all the better for it.
San Antonio Pickle Salsa
The recipe is pretty simple. You can substitute the type of green salsa and pickles to your liking, but before you do, try it with the Herdez Salsa Verde and the Vlassic Zesty Dill Spears first. Trust me. Start here and then customize to your hearts desire. The veggies are pretty staple for any salsa of tomato and onion, but always use the white onion and not yellow. It has more of a bite, but it’s mellowed out really nicely by the acidity of the pickle juice. Did I mention that? Adding pickle juice to the salsa really gets that full flavor hitting the savory / salty combo just perfectly. Also, use the Ritz crackers to scoop it up. Sure you can use corn chips, but that buttery cracker really balances that sharp / tangy kick.
Again, this is not your normal salsa. Other than the actual salsa verde there really isn’t a hint of heat. I’m thinking jalapeños would be a good add-in but prolly mushing up some piquins really well and folding it in would give you that heat without the peppery skin to compete with the pickles. Just a thought. Make pickle salsa your thing. Change it up and add as much flair as you want. Hopefully it’ll be one of your family go-tos as you binge whatever telenovela or Netlfix series you’re into right now. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 16 oz Herdez Salsa Verde
- 16 oz Vlassic Zesty Dill Spears
- 2 Roma Tomatoes
- 1/2 Small White Onion
- Ritz Crackers
Instructions
- Dice up the two Roma tomatoes, half of a small white onion, and half the pickles from the jar of the Vlassic Zesty Dill Spears
- Add to a large bowl and pour half of the jar of the Herdez Salsa Verde
- Pour 1/4 cup pickle juice and mix
- Serve with Ritz crackers
Notes
- Before you substitute the salsa verde or pickles with a different brand, you gotta try it with these first
- Same thing for the Ritz crackers. Try it with the Ritz to start. But hey if you’re doing keto or non-gluten use your favorite chip/cracker-like vessel for salsa
- It must be white onion for the sharp bite that will mellow out perfectly with the pickle juice
- Use the whole jar of salsa verde and pickles, double up the tomatoes, and use whole white onion for a large party serving
