Avocado salsa is a vibrant and chunky dip. Almost a cross between guacamole and pico de gallo, it’s a refreshing blend of avocados, tomatoes, red onions, garlic, lime juice, and coriander (cilantro).

Sunny days, outdoor weather and BBQs mean salsa, dips and homemade dressings on repeat. Salsa is a flavourful way to add extra goodness to your meals, whether it’s pico de gallo, fruity mango salsa or this vibrant, perfectly spicy, and deliciously chunky avocado salsa. In one fell swoop it will satisfy cravings for both guacamole and salsa at the same time!

How to choose the best avocados

The key ingredient of this recipe is avocados, so choosing the best of the bunch is key. Here’s what to look for:

1. Skin pigmentation: Avocado colors will shift depending on how ripe they are. Ones that are a vibrant green have been picked early and are under ripe. And those that are completely brown are overly ripe. So choose an avocado with a forest green color.
2. Inspect the naval: To test the ripeness, place your thumb on the “belly button” of the fruit. If you can flick the naval off, the avocado is officially ripe. If the naval is tightly intact, it’s not ready to eat just yet. And if the naval is completely missing, skip that avocado as that end may be slightly brown on the inside.
3. The pressure test: Give the avocado a very gentle squeeze with the palm of your hand. If the fruit is ripe, it will feel just a little soft. Avocados that are extremely ripe will feel like mush.

Avocado salsa ingredients

• Avocado: Make sure you don’t buy mushy, overly-ripe avocados, because unlike guacamole, this salsa needs to hold it’s shape.
• Cherry tomatoes: These tomatoes are naturally sweeter and hold just the right amount of juiciness.
• Red onion: Adds a beautiful pop of purple to this salsa.
• Garlic: Can’t make salsa without a hint of garlicky flavour!
• Lime juice: Adds a fresh and zesty flavour with every bite.
• Coriander (cilantro): A must-have herb that freshens up this salsa. I find frozen coriander works best for this recipe, but you can use fresh if you prefer. If you don’t like coriander, try parsley instead.
• Sea salt: Just a pinch to balance out the flavours.

How to make avocado salsa

With a bundle of fresh ingredients and a little bit of prep, this salsa comes together quickly. Here’s how to make it:

1. Dice the avocado and cherry tomatoes into into small cubes.
2. Finely dice the red onion into smaller pieces and crush the garlic.
3. Mix these ingredients together in a medium bowl with a spoonful of frozen chopped coriander, the juice of a lime and a pinch of sea salt until well combined.
4. Serve. It’s best to serve this right away to prevent browning.

Will this avocado salsa keep?

This salsa is best served immediately as the avocado chunks will turn brown over time. The lime juice does help to delay browning, but it’s best enjoyed soon after making.

If you do need to store it, make sure it’s in an air-tight container perfectly fitting the amount of salsa to reduce air.

Serving suggestions

This avocado salsa pairs perfectly with the Mexican vibes of Easy chilli chicken, Ultimate beef chilli or a Spicy burrito bowl.

Other salsa and dips to try

Dips and spreads are an easy way to add a flavour to your meals. Here are some others to try:

• Spicy guacamole
• Mango salsa
• Pico de gallo
• Salsa verde
• Classic hummus
• Beet hummus
• Cauliflower hummus
• Green goddess hummus

I hope you enjoy this avocado salsa recipe. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or post in The Fertility Kitchen Community.