Pico de gallo

Pico de gallo salsa

We love salsa in my household. Sometimes we try new recipes, but at least a couple times every month we make a big batch of a tried-and-true variety, like pico de gallo.

While our usual recipe for it is nothing original and we are not too particular about the ratios, I wanted to record here a couple deviations from the norm that have also worked well. The norm is:

• 1 medium or 1/2 large onion, chopped (ideally white or red, though yellow ones also work)
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeños, chopped (we remove most seeds and seedpack to reduce the heat)
• a bunch of cilantro / coriander leaves, chopped
• juice of 1-2 limes
• salt to taste

Consider adding any of the following:

• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped (adds bulk without increasing acidity or spiciness)
• a bunch of mint, chopped (competes with cilantro, in a good way)
• few cloves of garlic, minced

People vary wildly in their preference (or tolerance) for raw onions and spicy chilis, so the ratios of those ingredients to the rest of the bulk, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, would probably have to be tweaked over time before you arrive at your ideal. I think 1 part onions to 3 parts tomatoes/cucumbers, by volume, is a good starting point. You are also probably safe starting with one seeded jalapeño, which will barely add heat, and move up from there.