Pico De Gallo
Last Updated on October 30, 2024 by Annie
Healthy, vegan Pico de Gallo comes together in under 30 minutes for a light and refreshing dip perfect for any chip. This easy salsa recipe also makes a great topping for nachos, burrito bowls, and tacos.
We all know the saying, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Well, here I write to tell you I did not know what I had, I did not appreciate what I had, and now it is gone. No, I am not talking about dairy. Please, I knew what I had, and I knew it well.
No, what I did not appreciate while I had it were the free salsas at Tex-Mex restaurants. I am not sure if this is the same in other states but in the great state of Texas, when you sit down at a Mexican restaurant you are met with a smile and a smattering of salsas.
Before you picture a jar of Pace picante, you need to understand that these salsas were a work of art, unique to each restaurant. When you are seated, you are presented with the option of a green salsa, red salsa, an avocado cilantro lime salsa, a bean dip, or pico de gallo.
Obviously, pre-dairy free Annie sat down at Tex-Mex restaurants and ordered a large bowl of queso, letting the other people at the table (read Jason) eat the salsas and shake their heads at my ignorance. Well, the last time I went home, I visited Lupe Tortilla and discovered what I had been missing all along. The salsa was great, but it was the pico de gallo that stuck with me long after the trip.
Why We Love This Fresh Pico de Gallo
This simple recipe for pico de gallo has a number of winning qualities. We love making it because its:
- Ready in about 20 minutes or less (if you are a quick chopper).
- Makes a great dip or topping.
- Naturally dairy-free and vegan making it accessible to just about everyone!
How to Make Homemade Pico de Gallo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tomatoes– I like to use either roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine for this recipe.
- Jalapeños– Seeded and diced for a more mild flavor.
- Red Onion– Diced into small bite sized pieces.
- Garlic- Diced or microplaned (I like how the garlic distributes more evenly when it’s microplaned)
- Cilantro– Washed and chopped to your desired size.
- Lime Juice- Fresh is best for this recipe.
- Salt– To bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.
Step-by-Step Directions
This vegan pico de gallo is as simple as chop, season, stir, and serve.
- Chop vegetables: Dice tomatoes into bite sized pieces and red onion into bite sized pieces.
- Dice jalapeño: Seed and remove the pith and ribs of the jalapeño. To do this, cut the jalapeño in half and scoop out the seeds and the white fleshy parts with a spoon. Then cut the jalapeño in strips and dice into bite sized pieces.
- Chop cilantro: Roughly chop about 1/4 cup of cilantro into desired size.
- Place into bowl: In a medium sized bowl, mix together the tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and the cilantro.
- Add flavor: Next microplane the garlic over the bowl. Add the lime juice and salt.
- Mix all of the ingredients together and test with a tortilla chip. Adjust flavors by adding more salt, lime, cilantro, or jalapeño as needed.
Pro Tips for Making Pico De Gallo
Pico de gallo is literally the one of the easiest dips to make. (Let the record reflect I consumed copious amounts of Parks and Recreation and used the Chris Traeger voice right there in my brain.) Here are a few tips for success:
- Scoop out the tomato seeds, this keeps the pico from getting to liquid-y.
- The seeds aren’t just what make your jalapeño spicy! It’s the pith and the ribs. Remove the pith and ribs (the whiteish path the seeds are stuck to) unless you want a spicy pico.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and ribs of your jalapeño. The last thing you need is to forget you have the jalapeño oil on your fingers, touch your eyes, and be out of commission for the day. Not that I know anything about this…
Helpful Kitchen Tools
There are very few tools you need to make a wicked bowl of pico de gallo beyond a good knife. Some other things you might need are:
- Microplane– For grating the garlic into a delicious paste.
- Lemon Juicer– Works for both lemons and limes.
Pro Tips for Keeping Cilantro
Over the course of my life, I have fallen victim to bunches of cilantro going bad in my refrigerator because of storage. Do not let this be you. Learn from my mistakes.
- Store cilantro in a cup with water.
- Remove the rubber band/twist tie.
- Cover loosely with the produce bag.
- Rinse and chop cilantro as needed.
What to Serve with Pico de Gallo
I am all about dipping a salty tortilla chip into a fresh bowl of this pico de gallo. Some other ways to use this pico de gallo recipe include:
- On top of Loaded Nachos
- Mixed with Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Sprinkled over a Dairy-Free Taco Salad
- Added to a Shrimp Taco Lunch Bowl
- Mixed into a Breakfast Burrito
Easy Dip Recipes to Make Next
If you tried this vegan pico de gallo recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
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Pico de Gallo
This fresh pico de gallo can be made in advance or made to eat immediately. It is packed with fresh veggies and a refreshing flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 Tomatoes Seeded and diced
- ½ Red onion diced
- 2-3 Jalapeño Peppers Seeded and diced
- 2 cloves Garlic grated
- ¼ cup Cilantro Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Start by seeding 3 tomatoes. To seed the tomatoes, cut them in half and then in thirds. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Then dice the tomato into bite sized pieces.
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Next, dice ½ of a red onion into bite sized pieces.
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Then seed and remove the pith and ribs of 2-3 jalapeño peppers. To do this, cut the jalapeño in half and scoop out the seeds and the white fleshy parts with a spoon. Then cut the jalapeño in strips and dice into bite sized pieces.
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Next, trim ¼ cup cilantro and chop into desired pieces.
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In a medium sized bowl, mix together the tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and the cilantro.
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Next microplane 2 cloves of garlic over the bowl. Add the 1 Tablespoon lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt.
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Mix all of the ingredients together and test with a tortilla chip. Adjust flavors but adding more salt, lime, cilantro, or jalapeño as needed.
Recipe Notes
I compost all of the food scraps from this recipe and will be throughly excited to see if the seeds crop up with a tomato or jalapeño plant next spring.
If you make in advance eat within 3-5 days of making.
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