A bright, crunchy Peruvian raw condiment made with red onion, vinegar, tomato, garlic, chili, bell pepper, olive oil, and fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Fresh red onions
- 2 pieces Ripe but firm tomatoes
- 1 piece Fresh red bell pepper
- 1 piece Fresh ají limo or fresh red chili
- 1 clove Fresh garlic
- 60 ml White wine vinegar
- 45 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.5 bunches Fresh cilantro
- 0.25 bunches Fresh flat-leaf parsley
- to taste Fine salt
- to taste Ground black pepper
Method
- Peel the red onions, halve them lengthwise, then slice them with the grain into even, flexible strips. The strips should remain neat, crisp, and long enough to provide the salsa's characteristic texture.
- Place the onions in a large bowl of very cold water, gently swish them by hand, then drain thoroughly. Repeat if the onion smells especially pungent. This rinse removes the harshness without taking away the crunch.
- Dry the onions in a clean kitchen towel or with paper towels. They should be damp but not dripping, or the sauce will become watery and the dressing will slide to the bottom of the bowl.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges, removing excess seeds if they are very juicy, then dice the flesh into even pieces. The juice should flavor the sauce, but the pieces should remain visible.
- Seed the red bell pepper and chili, then slice them very thinly. For a livelier salsa, keep some of the chili seeds; for a milder version, remove them completely.
- Mash the garlic into a paste with the fine salt until almost creamy. This prevents overly strong pieces of raw garlic and distributes its flavor more evenly through the sauce.
- In a nonmetallic salad bowl, combine the vinegar, olive oil, garlic paste, black pepper, and salt. Whisk until the dressing is slightly cloudy and glossy.
- Add the onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, chili, cilantro, and parsley. Toss with two spoons, lifting rather than crushing: the salsa should remain crunchy, juicy, and fresh, not become a compote.
- Let rest in the refrigerator for about a quarter of an hour. The salsa is ready when the onion has softened slightly, the vinegar aroma has rounded out, and a reddish-orange juice has begun to form at the bottom of the bowl.
- Taste just before serving and adjust the salt, pepper, or vinegar. Serve chilled but not ice-cold, so the aroma of the onion, herbs, and chili remains vivid.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 121 kcal
- Protein
- 0.82 g
- Carbohydrate
- 3.62 g
- Fat
- 11.4 g
- Fibre
- 1.15 g
- Calcium
- 7.21 mg
- Iron
- 0.26 mg
- Magnesium
- 5.39 mg
