A fresh, quick, and easy homemade Mango Cucumber Salsa that is a perfect for long summer days, BBQs, and even family taco night.
It is about time I put this guy up on the blog. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo 😉 This salsa is my go to side dish to bring to just about any get together. First of all it is so easy to make. The cutting can get a little tedious, but after you have made it about 15 times like me, it gets easier and faster each time. Second, it is a crowd pleaser. I mean who doesn’t like salsa. Especially when it is fresh like this. Jarred salsas are so old school when it comes to bringing them to parties. This salsa makes it look like you actually put in a lot of effort to making a dish, but no one knows how simple it is! Third, simply put, it is delicious 🙂
This salsa also has a special place in my heart. It was one of the first dishes Michael and I started to make together. I really didn’t get into starting to cook seriously until I started CrossFit, which was about 4 years ago. That is around the same time Michael and I started dating. We lived on the East coast then and would go to multiple football games at JMU and Temple throughout their seasons. We started making this as something to bring together and it was a huge hit. It soon became our go-to item to bring.
The key to this mango cucumber salsa is to try to get everything uniformly cut and in small pieces. I like to use a small mandoline to make cucumber slices. Then I just stack them up and dice. For the tomatoes, try to squeeze out the excess seeds and juice if you can. That way the salsa doesn’t get too liquidity. You can enjoy this right away, but I think it is best after the flavors marinate for a couple hours. Just pop it in the fridge and take it out when you are ready to serve. It can also me made the night before. Serve it along side homemade chips, veggie slices, or on top of eggs, meat, salads, or in tacos.
- 1 large cucumber, diced (about 2½ cups)
- 5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3½ cups)
- ½ red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large mango, diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 jalapeño, diced (more or less depending on heat preference)
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- Finely dice the cucumber, tomato, onion, mango, and jalapeño. Combine in a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the cilantro, lime juice, and spices and stir to combine again.
- Serve immediately or let chill for a couple hours. Salsa will keep up to one week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Do you have a dish that you have been making for years that just comes naturally now?
