One of the major misconceptions is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican Independence Day–it doesn’t. That’s on September 16th. What it does celebrate is the victory of the Mexican army over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

As a holiday, it is much more celebrated in America than in Mexico. And originally started with Mexican-Americans in California in 1863 when they heard the Mexicans won the battle. It didn’t become popular in the rest of the United States until around the 1940s. Now it is a celebration Mexican-American culture and heritage.

The point of Cinco de Mayo is to understand Mexican culture better and celebrate what we have in common and what we have shared with each other. One of my favorite things Mexican culture has shared is its delicious food.

In our house Mexican food is one of our favorites that we could literally eat every day. Sometimes we do ; ) And no dish is complete without the salsa (sauce). When it comes to making food, I prefer recipes that are simple and require only a few ingredients. That’s why these easy to make salsas are on the top of my favorites list.

Since Salsa means sauce in Spanish, it can take many forms. One of my favorites is a pico de gallo, which is sometimes called salsa fresca (fresh sauce) because the ingredients are simple and it’s so fresh. It literally means beak of a rooster, which makes no sense, so we’ll stick with the Spanish pronunciation, pee-ko duh guy-yo.

All you need are fresh tomatoes, lime juice, salt, cilantro, pepper and onion. Everything is chopped finely and mixed together. I don’t like raw onion, so I don’t use much and make sure it’s chopped very fine.

Pico de Gallo

Start with fresh ingredients. They’ll make your salsa not only delicious, but more nutritious too!

The tomatoes should be firm and plump. Chop them in a small dice–the smaller the better because you’ll be able to get a better flavor profile and get more on your chip later!

Chop the remaining ingredients finely as well. Kids can help with this using the knife skills they worked on making the Nicoise Salad. This will help it mix better and taste better!

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit 5-10 minutes for the flavors to combine

Variation: Blended Salsa

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, one of my other favorites uses a can of diced tomatoes. It’s smooth and not chunky like pico de gallo, but has a delicious flavor.

The steps couldn’t be easier–even young kids can make this one nearly by themselves. They might just need help with the can opener and slicing the pepper. You simply add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let it sit about 15 minutes and it’s ready to enjoy.

Now all you need are tortilla chips or tacos or your favorite Mexican food to enjoy these easy to make salsas!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 cup whole cilantro

• 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

• 1/2-1 tsp salt

• 1/2-1 jalepeno, with ribs and seeds removed

Print

Directions

• Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor
• Blend 10-15 seconds, until smooth
• Let sit 15 minutes to settle. Taste and adjust salt or lime juice according to taste preference.
• Serve with corn chips or with your favorite Mexican foods.

Pico de gallo

Recipe by Kirsten ReederCourse: Lunch, Dinner, SnacksCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

cups

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Pico de gallo is a fast and easy to make salsa using only a few fresh ingredients–tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime and salt–and comes together quickly and easily.

Ingredients

• 2-3 large red tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1 serrano or jalepeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped

• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  

• 2-3 Tbsp lime juice

• 1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1/4-1/2 cup

• 1/2-1 tsp salt, to taste

Directions

• In a medium non-metallic bowl combine the onion, tomatoes, jalepeno, and cilantro.
• Add the lime juice and salt to taste and stir to combine
  
• Let sit 15 minutes and then taste again and adjust accordingly
• Serve as a dip for chips, or serve with a slotted spoon to avoid too much juice from transferring to other foods.

Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #vibrantmomsociety

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