With summer underway, I’m sure your BBQ is getting as much use as mine is with grilled meats, fish and veggies always making appearances at the dinner table.  One of my favorite dishes to bring to a BBQ or dinner party during the summer is a fresh salsa – they’re fast, tasty, and extremely versatile!  Plus, making them from scratch with fresh summer produce means you’re getting more of your fruits and vegetables servings, and as a bonus, salsas usually tend to be kid-friendly if you nix any added spiciness from jalapeno peppers.  I love these salsas because they can be added to grilled chicken, pork, or beef, served atop grilled fish, or even incorporated as an appetizer with crackers.  Enjoy!

Recipes:

Simply mix all ingredients in a bowl, let sit for a while (30 min to 1 hour) to let the flavors come together, and then serve!

Avocado-Mango    

• 1 ripe Haas avocado, diced
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Tip: This salsa pairs quite nicely with grilled chicken or pork!

Pineapple-Tomato

• 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup pineapple, diced
• 2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Tip: Try serving this salsa with whole-grain crackers for a fun and fruity appetizer!

Watermelon-Mint  

• 2 cups watermelon, seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber, diced (peel if desired)
• ¼ red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Tip: Add some diced feta cheese to this one for a different flavor, or swap out the watermelon for fresh cantaloupe!

Cucumber-Mango

• 1 ripe mango, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced (peel if desired)
• ½ jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Tip: These flavors work nicely with fish; try with grilled scallops, salmon or tilapia!

Corn-Tomato-Avocado  

• 5-6 roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 ripe Haas avocado, diced
• 1 cup of corn (fresh or canned & rinsed is fine)
• ½ red onion, diced
• ½ jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Tip: Make this salsa into a meal by adding black beans and serving over spinach salad or quinoa!

What’s your favorite dish to bring to summer get-togethers?  Let me know if you try any of the recipes above!

Assistance provided by Megan Skinner