Fresh Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

The salsa available to buy in northern Europe is mediocre at best and, even if you can get the good stuff, it’s well worth making your own fresh salsa in the summer months. This recipe is slightly altered to be a little more local-friendly than a classic pico de gallo because fresh hot peppers are hard to come by in Sweden (it’s July and my plants haven’t even flowered yet).

I’m also using lemon rather than lime – lemons are grown in Europe, limes are not – and use parsley and cilantro (coriander) interchangeably here, though parsley is generally more readily available. The difference is slight enough that it still tastes like a classic salsa, just with easier to find ingredients.

If you have plenty of tomatoes to use, also make a summery vegan pesto pizza, quick roasted summer vegetable pasta, or a light Greek chickpea salad.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Tomatoes: a mix of yellow and red tomatoes is very pretty, and yellow are milder if you are sensitive to high-acid foods.
• Herbs: use parsley and cilantro interchangeably or mix the two if preferred. The oregano can be Mediterranean or Mexican, it doesn’t make a noticeable difference.
• Lemon: use lime juice in equal amounts. Substitute a 1-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar for the citrus if preferred.
• Onion: soak the onion in ice water before using if you find that it’s too sharp for you to enjoy raw.
• Spices: of course fresh hot pepper is going to add a more complex flavour than dried pepper flakes, so use it if you have it. Adjust depending on how much spice you like.

Step by Step

Step 1: finely chop the vegetables and herbs and place into a mixing bowl with the spices and lemon juice.

Step 2: mix until well combined, then set aside to rest for at least half an hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

Parsley is a little harder than cilantro, especially when grown while the nights are below 10°C, which can make for a slightly chewy salsa. Be sure to chop it very finely to avoid this.

To make quick work of this, chop everything in a food processor. Simply cut the tomatoes and onion into large chunks, then pop everything into the bowl of a processor fitted with the blade attachment, and chop until it reaches your desired texture. Don’t mix for too long.

Serve simply with tortilla chips, use as a topping for tacos (pictured with mushroom fajitas), or add to wraps, mix with cooked grains for a quick salad, and more.

How to Store

Storage: best served the day it’s made, this salsa can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this.

Expert Tips

• Let it rest: the taste is much improved with just a short rest before serving, between half an hour and two hours, covered at room temperature. This will allow the flavours to mingle a bit and soften the sharpness of the onion.
• Use ripe tomatoes: this is a simple recipe and good, seasonal ingredients will make all the difference. Try to use locally grown ripe tomatoes for the best taste.
• Season to taste: consider the amount of salt and citrus to be a starting point, and adjust based on personal preference.

More Summer Sides

Vegan Cucumber Salad
Roasted Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant Soup
Zucchini Cornbread
Tomato Confit