Sweet, tangy, spicy and deliciously creamy, I made this salsa on a terribly humid summer day and served it with tortilla chips for a mid-afternoon snack.
Cook’s notes
Get sweet ripe mangoes to give this salsa just the right amount of sweetness and juices. I understand that the level of sweetness may depend on the regional origin of the mango, and we’re all limited by what’s available to us. We’re lucky because mango is a serious business in this country. And, until recently, we even had a mango tree in our garden. So, while there’s not much that we can do about how sweet a mango is, just make sure that your use perfectly ripe ones for this salsa. You want the juices oozing out of the fruit flesh as you cut through it.
As for the avocado, make sure that your avocado is at that perfect stage of ripeness too to provide a creamy texture.
There’s no cooking involved here. Note, however, that if you have the time and inclination, you may want to grill the ingredients before chopping them. Halve the onion, tomatoes, mango and avocado, place on a very hot grill with the uncut chili, and grill for about half a minute per side, or just long enough to char. This step, although totally optional, will give your salsa a delightful smoky flavor and aroma.
Mango and avocado salsa
Ingredients
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 tomatoes must be plump and juicy
- 1 onion
- 1 bird’s eye chili
- 2 to 3 limes squeezed
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 small handful Thai basil leaves
- 1 small handful mint leaves
Instructions
- Cut the mango to remove the stone (see illustration). Scoop out the fresh and cut into small cubes or just roughly chop.
- Do the same with the avocado.
- Cut the onion and tomatoes (scoop out the seeds first) into the same size as the mango and avocado pieces.
- Finely slice the chili.
- Place everything in a mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper, pour in the lime juice and toss.
- Roughly chop the basil and mint, and stir into the salsa.
- Taste. Add more salt, pepper or lime juice, or all of them, depending on your preferred balance of flavors.
- Serve the salsa with tortilla chips, or serve as a side dish to grilled meat, chicken or seafood.
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