I haven't made this salsa since I was staying at a friend's house in Paris last year, but I plan on making it again, very soon. The basic concept of this fresh Pico de Gallo style salsa is to use whichever ingredients you can find. I made many variations of this salsa while traveling in Europe, because each country had different, but amazingly fresh, produce that was always cheap. Plus I didn't have to roam the aisles trying to read the difference between crème fraîche and cat food in 18 different languages. It was a great snack to share with new friends at hostels, and you can make a big batch that will last for days. Actually, the longer it sits, (refrigerated, of course) the better it tastes!
So here are the essential ingredients for your basic pico de gallo:
- 4 plum/roma tomatoes, or 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- fresh cilantro
- 1/2 jalapeño (or any other chili pepper. For spicier use habanero pepper, and for more mild use poblano pepper)
- 1 or 2 limes
- Don't forget the tortilla chips!
Here are some ingredients I add to really make an amazing and unique salsa. You can add all of them at once, or just pick and choose what sounds good to you.
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can sweet corn, drained
- 1 cup peanuts ( I know it sounds weird, but it gives an amazing texture with an unexpected crunch)
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 mango, cubed (only if you can find a fresh, ripe one)
- 1 can pineapple, chopped (I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds good!)
It's best to cut all of the ingredients by hand and then toss all of the chopped fruits and veggies together. Add the chili pepper and cilantro last to your own taste. If you can't find these things at the store, use chili flakes or hot sauce and go without the fresh cilantro (it's just not the same when cilantro is dried) Finally, quarter the limes and squeeze the juice into the bowl or the salsa. If it needs a little more juice add a teaspoon of olive oil.
Enjoy!
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