This fresh salsa hits a sweet note
This recipe for fresh salsa—also known as salsa fresca or pico de gallo—mixes sweet and savoury flavours by adding pineapple.
Let me start by saying that I love pineapple. I like it on my pizzas, I like it fresh, and I like it out of a can. Still, I understand that not everyone likes pineapple. If you’re not a pineapple person, you can still make this recipe without the pineapple or you can replace the pineapple with mango, corn, beans, or anything else you think will go well with tomatoes, green onion, and spices. It’s a really flexible recipe that you can experiment with until you find the combination you like the best.
But, in the meantime, let’s get back to pineapple. One of the reasons I love this salsa is that it goes great with pulled pork tacos; pork and fruit are a popular combination (think Hawaiian pizza). It’s also pretty versatile and goes nicely with vegetarian tacos made with a soy replacement or refried beans (see the veggie nachos section here for my refried beans recipe). Because this is a fresh salsa, it tastes better in tacos or on salads than in burritos or on baked nachos.
Ingredients
1 can of pineapple chunks or equivalent; chopped in half (tidbits are too small; slices can be chopped)
1 bundle of green onions, chopped
2 firm medium-large tomatoes, diced
2 green chilis or 1 jalapeno with the seeds and ribs removed, finely sliced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
You can change this recipe up by adding a quarter of a red onion (finely chopped), the juice of half a lime with some lime zest, and a fistful of chopped cilantro or coriander. These steps take a little longer and not everyone tends to like raw onion or cilantro, but give it a try if you do.
Directions
1. Place the chopped pineapple chunks (without the pineapple juice), chopped green onions, diced tomatoes, and chilies (if using) in a large bowl.
2. Season with salt, cumin powder, and chili powder and stir gently until combined.
3. Taste and adjust spices. If you’re serving this with chips, taste the salsa with the chips before adjusting the salt since some chips are saltier than others.
Enjoy!
Photo by Mirali Almaula/The Ontarion.