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Cucumber Salsa Recipe
When you really think about it, cucumber seems like a natural candidate for inclusion in a salsa. Their fresh, cooling flavor along with their snappy, crisp texture is a perfect fit for the spicier and more assertive taste of onion, hot peppers, and cilantro. However, while you may not see cucumber included in too many salsas at your local grocer, it is actually quite popular in parts of the Caribbean.
This Cucumber and mango salsa recipe takes its inspiration from a salsa which is quite popular in the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where it often accompanies seafood dishes. It is just as good with other Caribbean, Latin American, and Mexican dishes, however.
This recipe is a very quick and easy one to prepare and can be thrown together in a couple of minutes before dinner, or made ahead of time so that you have it ready when mealtime rolls around. Either way, it is a refreshing, delicious sweet and savory salsa which is perfect for summer or all year round.
Trinidadian Style Cucumber Salsa
Ingredients -
3 mangoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced finely
1 large white onion, diced finely
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Start by peeling and dicing the cucumbers; if you prefer, you can also remove the seeds, though this is entirely optional. Peel and dice the mangoes, removing their large flat seeds as you go. Dice the onion and jalapenos, chop the cilantro, and mince the garlic, combining all of the above in a large bowl. Squeeze the limes over the other ingredients and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.
This is one of those salsa which manages to be refreshing and cooling even as it packs a nice amount of heat from the jalapeno peppers; if you'd like to really make it Trinidadian style, you can substitute a habanero pepper for the jalapenos, but keep in mind that this will make for a VERY hot salsa indeed. Either way, it is a wonderful salsa which goes perfectly with seafood and Mexican dishes. Try it with tortilla chips on a warm summer's day for a real treat. It is not the usual tomato salsa, but it is a magnificent condiment which definitely deserves a try.
