Pico de Gallo

We’re just under a week shy of the autumnal equinox when fall officially begins, yet there are still vine ripe tomatoes to be had! I crave this pico de gallo recipe; it’s a recipe that we love when all the ingredients are at their peak, as this is when their flavors shine.

Rob wanted to share this recipe with y’all because this is one of his favorites. To have Rob in the kitchen is a rare event but he loves this recipe and takes pleasure in preparing it. In fact, he’s the one that introduced it to me many years ago. A friend of his passed the recipe on and he’s been making it ever since.

There’s nothing tricky about pico de gallo really, except for getting the veggies diced to a uniform size. Pulsing a food processor can accomplish this with ease. The exception to pulsing, however, is when the garlic and jalapeños go into the bowl; they require a fine dice to distribute their flavor more evenly throughout the pico. While a food processor makes all the chopping much more efficient, a knife can do the job just as well.

For this recipe we like to use vine ripe tomatoes because they are firm and hold up well to processing. White onions are our first choice in pico because they have a sharper flavor than yellow and balance the mellow flavor of tomatoes. For heat, jalapeños are a great choice to use in this recipe, however, serrano peppers can be used as well. We’ve used them both and go back and forth depending on which one is available.

The jalapeños vary in the amount of heat they contribute to pico de gallo. Leave the white ribs on for more heat, take them off if you like a more mellow pico. We’ve added pickled jalapeños before to really turn the heat up! The recipe is very flexible, so adjust to your taste!

The photos above show how the garlic and jalapeño is processed to small bits with a touch of tomato. Adding a bit of tomato to the processor while processing the garlic and jalapeño together gives the ingredients enough volume to actually get pushed around and chopped by the blades in the processor.

This recipe comes together quick and makes a tasty, healthy snack. It’s also a delicious accompaniment for your famous Mexican food recipe! Pico de gallo is a regular staple in our home but doesn’t last long once it’s made! I’m already requesting more…

So grab your food processor, a sharp knife, all the ingredients and your favorite cutting board and get going! You’ll love the results!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Pico de Gallo

Fresh, healthy and mouth watering, pico de gallo is a lovely way to enjoy the flavors of veggie abundance towards the end of summer. Vegan + Gluten Free

Prep Time30 mins

Total Time30 mins

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Vanilla And Bean

Ingredients

• 5 lbs Large Vine Ripened Tomatoes about 2 1/2 or about 5 1/4 cups post processing
• 1 C Bell Pepper about 1 post processing
• 1 C White Onion about 1 post processing
• 3 Cloves of Garlic about 3/4 tsp minced
• 1 Jalapeño or 2 Serrano Peppers
• 1/4 Lime juiced
• 1/4 Lemon juiced
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 3 Tbs Fresh Cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Cut tomatoes in 1/2 and remove the white area around the stem. Cut each 1/2 into about 6 pieces and process in two or three batches in food processor, pulsing to obtain 1/4" pieces. Place all pulsed tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
• Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Cut into 5-6 pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until 1/4" pieces are obtained. Pour into mixing bowl with tomatoes.
• Cut both ends of a garlic clove, smash with flat side of knife and remove the skin. Rough chop the cloves then place them in the processor bowl. Remove the stem of the jalapeno and slice lengthwise. Remove the seeds of the jalapeno. For more heat retain the ribs, otherwise, remove the ribs. Slice the jalapeno into about 5 pieces and place in food processor. Add about 2 Tbs of tomatoes into the bowl of the food processor and process with the garlic and jalapeno. Process into a very fine dice. Pour into the large mixing bowl with the tomatoes, and bell pepper.
• Cut the onion in 1/2. Remove the stems and skin and cut each 1/2 into about 6 pieces. Place the onion in the food processor and pulse until 1/4" pieces are achieved. Pour the onions into the mixing bowl with the tomato mixture.
• Drain the pico de gallo in a fine mesh strainer for no more than 30 seconds as some liquid needs to be retained. Transfer back into mixing bowl.
• Add the lemon and lime juice, salt and cilantro. Stir well. Now is a good time to taste and adjust salt if needed.
• Cover and rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition is provided as an estimate and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1292mg | Potassium: 5996mg | Fiber: 35g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 23789IU | Vitamin C: 551mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 7mg

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