Fresh Pico de Gallo

Looking for a quick, vibrant, and healthy way to elevate your meals? This Fresh Pico de Gallo is it! Bursting with fresh vegetables and zippy lime, it’s the perfect refreshing dip or topper for those Mexican-inspired dishes!

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Fresh Pico de Gallo, or Mexican salsa, is popularly served with many Latin American dishes. It’s made up of fresh chopped tomatoes, red onions, peppers, garlic, and cilantro and is often enjoyed as a topping for things like quesadillas, tacos, and fajitas. It’s also irresistible spooned over crispy warm tortilla chips!

What You’ll Love About This Fresh Pico de Gallo

Fresh and flavorful: Filled with ripe tomatoes, zesty lime juice, and fresh cilantro, this recipe adds a bright, invigorating touch to any recipe.

Healthy and Clean: Loaded with clean, whole-food ingredients, this recipe delivers a nourishing way to help support you without added sugar or oil.

Garden-friendly: The use of common homegrown vegetables makes this perfect for consuming extra tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro from your own garden.

Enhances boring leftovers: Boost the flavor of your leftovers with fresh pico de gallo. Spoon it on leftover vegetables, potatoes, enchiladas, rice, tofu, and chickpeas or beans.

Adaptable: Try a new flavor by making it with mango or pineapple, adding corn, combining it with avocado, adding vegan feta, or trying different chilies.

How This Recipe Supports Your Health As You Age

Ever wonder how food plays a role in your health as you get older? Certain ingredients, like the ones in this Fresh Pico de Gallo, do more than just bring bold flavor to the table; they can promote longevity when eaten regularly. Here are some of the benefits of these fresh ingredients:

• Tomatoes have a compound called lycopene. This is what gives tomatoes their red pigment. When consumed, lycopene acts as an antioxidant, aiding in cancer prevention.
• Red onions have quercetin, with many known benefits, including the ability to reduce cancer risk and act as an antidepressant.
• Garlic is used medicinally to support digestion by acting as a prebiotic for your gut, boost your immune system through natural antimicrobial properties, and promote heart health.
• Lime juice is rich in vitamin C, which aids in the production of collagen and is important for a functioning immune system.

How to Make Fresh Pico de Gallo:

See the full recipe card with measurements and instructions below.

What You’ll Need:

• Roma tomatoes
• Red onion
• Green bell pepper
• Jalapeño (optional)
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Lime juice
• Salt

How to Make This Recipe:

1. Put all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and gently toss to combine. Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed.

2. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to meld together. 

3. Serve as a topping or dip for tortilla chips, tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.

Notes & Storage:

Storage: This Fresh Pico de Gallo stores well chilled in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you’re going to make this ahead of time, add the fresh-squeezed lime juice just before serving to keep everything crisp and bright.

Notes:

1. For meal planning, you can dice the tomatoes, onion, and peppers in advance and store them separately. Just mix everything together with the cilantro, lime, and garlic when you’re ready to serve for the freshest flavor.
2. Double or triple the recipe to make this for a larger crowd or to take to a potluck or special gathering.
3. Adjust the amount of salt by adding more or leaving it out.
4. Try different ingredients to add variety to this recipe. Make it sweeter by adding mango or pineapple. Add crumbled feta for saltiness. Throw in some roasted corn or roasted red pepper for a deeper, smokier flavor.