Fresh Mango Salsa

Fresh Mango Salsa: Fresh Mango, Avocado, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Cilantro and Lime make a refreshing and versatile fruit salsa that is excellent to pair with many main courses.

Fresh Mango Salsa

It is the end of January, so it's not exactly peak mango season here, but did you know that we actually grow mangoes all year long in the USA? We are so lucky to have access to many different mango varieties that do very well here in the states. Each mango variety have their own unique season, so we can enjoy the sweet flavor of mango all year round!

For some reason, this time of year, my local grocery store always has an epic sale on mangoes. So, during that sale I stock up and make all sorts of delicious mango dishes. One of my favorites is raw mango salsa!

Ingredients

This recipe is full of clean, fresh ingredients. All you need is:

• Mango
• Avocado
• Red Bell Pepper
• Red Onion
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Lime - zested and juiced
• Salt

But before we get started making the salsa, let's talk about the most important part of this recipe.

How to Choose a Mango

The most important part of this recipe is choosing a ripe and ready mango! It may feel very overwhelming to stand in the produce aisle staring at rows and rows of mangoes but selecting a tasty ripe one is actually easier than you think.

When it comes to choosing a mango, its mostly about how the mango feels. You want it to feel heavy for its size, and give ever so slightly when you press the skin. It's kind of like choosing an avocado in a way. You want it to be soft, but not too soft.

With so many different mango varietals and varying colors, it can be tempting to pick a fruit based on it's color. But the coloring of the mango with have no effect on the sweetness, ripeness or flavor.

Another indicator of ripeness is smell. A ripe mango will have a sweet aroma around the stem.

Now that you have chosen the perfect ripe mangoes, its time to get started on the recipe!

How do you cut a mango for salsa?

Cutting a mango can be pretty intimidating if you have never done it before. It can help to understand what is inside the mango first. The mango has a large pit in the center, that is like a large flat oval. If you pick up your mango and examine it, you will see the mango has an oblong shape with two fleshy sides.

There are two main ways to cut a mango.

1. Slice down each side, along the pit. Use a knife to carefully cut a criss-cross pattern without piercing the skin and use a spoon to remove the diced fruit. Remove the remaining fruit using a knife to cut as close to the pit as possible.
2. Peel the mango first and carefully slice along the pit. Be careful if you use this method!

For a full tutorial on how to cut a mango, check out this video.

The inverted mango you see in the photos was cut using technique #1 which makes for a beautiful, and edible, presentation on your table!

Putting it all together

After cutting the mango, you want to continue chopping the other ingredients. I like to cut my mango slightly larger than the other ingredients, so that it remains the focal point of the dish but you can chop to whatever size you prefer.

If you are making a raw mango salsa to go on top of chicken, you may want to cut the ingredients a bit bigger than you would to eat with chips. If you are planning to just enjoy this with chips, then dicing the ingredients a little smaller will be easier to consume on a chip.

Once you get everything chopped up, the rest is easy! Simply put everything in a medium sized bowl and stir it up until well-combined. Make sure that the lime juice, zest and salt are evenly distributed.

That's it! How easy is that?! This recipe makes about 4 cups of salsa. If you need a bigger batch, just double or triple the recipe for a crowd. I find we consume a lot more of this when we are eating as a snack with chips. When we are using it as a topping to chicken or fish, a smaller amount goes a long way.

Storage

Thanks to the lime juice, this salsa saves pretty well! Before storing in an airtight container, give the top layer an extra squeeze of lime. This salsa usually keeps very well for me until the next day. I have even enjoyed it on the third day after making it. But, after day three, you are better off making a fresh batch.

Another tip you could try if you need this to last more than three days is to chop everything and keep it in separate containers (excluding the avocado, which needs to be cut fresh) Then, mix everything right before you serve it.

Serving Suggestions

This fresh fruit salsa is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. It's beyond addicting when your just eating it with chips, but my favorite thing about it is that the flavor is so versatile and goes with just about anything!

I absolutely love it on grilled chicken breasts. It is fantastic on fish or as a topping on fish tacos.

Wine Pairing Recommendations

Generally speaking, I would go for a gentle medium bodied white wine produced in stainless steel. For this raw mango salsa, I immediately think of a Rhone Blend. I think the consistent stone fruit flavors and tropical finish would be very complimentary to the salsa.

• Good: Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2017, $16.99
• Better: Pieropan Soave Classico 2018, $18.99
• Best: Chateau de Saint Cosme D'Orange Les Deux Albions Blanc 2017, $21.99
• Local Choice: Domain Berrien Cellars Voignier or Un-oaked Marsanne.

How do you serve your mango salsa? Let us know in the comments!

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