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Pico de gallo

Fresh tomato salsa

Salsa fresca: fresh chopped tomato, onion, green chilli, coriander and lime

Pico de gallo, also called salsa fresca or salsa mexicana, is the fresh, uncooked salsa that sits on every Mexican table: diced ripe tomato, white onion, serrano chilli and coriander, brightened with lime juice and salt. It is crunchy, juicy and clean-tasting, with just enough heat, and goes with tacos, quesadillas, eggs, beans, rice and tortilla chips. It is best within an hour of making. Chef's tip: add the salt just before serving; salt draws water out of the tomatoes and leaves the salsa sitting in a puddle.
Total time
10 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Quarter 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoes and scoop out the watery seeds if they are very juicy, then cut into 5 mm dice. Even, small dice make the salsa easy to scoop.

    4 min
  2. Step 2: Finely chop ½ white onion. Rinse it in a sieve under cold water and shake dry: this takes away the harsh bite and stops it overpowering the salsa.

    2 min
  3. Step 3: Finely chop 2 serrano chillies (remove the seeds and veins for a milder salsa) and ⅔ oz fresh coriander, stems included; the stems have the most flavour.

    3 min
  4. Step 4: Mix everything in a bowl with 1 lime. Just before serving, stir in ¾ tsp salt and taste; add more lime or chilli if needed.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
20 kcal
Protein
1 g
Carbs
4 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does pico de gallo take?
About 10 minutes in total.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
What can I use instead of white onion?
2 shallots per onion.

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