All-Season Cranberry Salsa

I learned for the first time this year that fresh cranberries are not available after the holiday season in the United States. How did I learn this? I had discovered this recipe and fallen in love with it. It was a hit at all the parties I had taken it to, and I loved what a refreshing change it was from the usual holiday fare, with a zesty fresher-than-fresh zing that was completely guilt free.

Naturally, when the holidays were over, I still wanted to take it to social gatherings. That was when I found out cranberries just aren't readily available -- and how hard it is to get any kind of substitute. Even frozen cranberries were hard to find and the texture wasn't quite the thing for this salsa.

After a momentary feeling of disappointment, I remembered my stash of Thrive freeze dried cranberries. Up until that time, I had only pulled them out to munch on for the occasional UTI (they work perfectly for that, by the way, and are much more convenient and nutritious than bottled cranberry juice).

With my fingers crossed (and an incomplete party-bound plant-based charcuterie board just waiting for a colorful salsa bowl) I used my Thrive cranberries in place of fresh. The result: perfection! Not only that, I realized that they were actually much more convenient and also prettier (due to the fact that they're sliced instead of just chopped willy-nilly).

Another delightful discovery for those of us who hate to chop fruits and veggies? Thrive cucumbers work in this recipe too! That makes this salsa extremely fast and easy, and also dazzling to look at, and a real showpiece on any table or charcuterie board. To top it off, it's whole food plant-based, and highly nutritious as well!

Here's the awesome recipe, which is adapted from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures (I LOVE their recipes). The link for the original is HERE. The original uses a food processor, but that's not needed with ours, thanks to that famous Thrive convenience.

Here's our Thrive version:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Thrive freeze dried cranberries

• ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (+/-)

• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely chopped

• 4 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 cup Thrive freeze dried cucumbers

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (+/-)

• 1 teaspoon lime juice (+/-)

• Pinch to ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *

• Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Refresh Thrive cranberries and cucumbers by covering with cold water for 10 mins. Drain.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients. Mix well to evenly distribute.  Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, then serve.

3. Serve with with chips or other accompaniments.