My juicy Papaya Salsa is equally at home with a bag of chips as it is at the side of a great steak ~ make a big batch today!
If I had to pick one food that defines my summer cooking, I would have to say it would be salsa. And one of my goals this season is to make as many different kinds as I can. Salsa is really a superfood. It’s incredibly healthy and low calorie, and it makes such a difference to so many different types of dishes. Papaya salsa is new to me, in fact I rarely use papayas in my kitchen, so this is a new experience for me all around.
related recipe: Pineapple Salsa
papaya salsa ingredients
- Papaya: look for a fruit that is ripe but still firm. Ask your produce manager if you’re unsure.
- You can get papayas in the supermarket most of the year, but summer is their season, and that’s when they’ll be cheapest and best. Choose them like you would an avocado; look for firm fruit that yields with pressure. If it’s too soft, pass on it, you’ll be dicing the flesh, and you don’t want it to be mushy.
- Red onion: add that all important onion bite that every salsa needs ~ in this case it balances out the sweet papaya.
- Cilantro: another salsa regular, cilantro gives a fresh herbal note.
- Lime juice: it must be fresh squeezed, no bottles please!
- Jalapeรฑo: this is optional but the gentle heat with the fresh fruit is irresistible. I actually use a Serrano pepper, which is slightly hotter.
The classic salsa, Spanish for ‘sauce’, is made with tomato, tomatillo, and chili peppers, which are all technically fruits. If you think of salsa as basically a chunky, raw fruit sauce, you can branch out in so many directions, like strawberry, pineapple, cantaloupe or apricot. I love how each fruit creates a unique salsa…in the case of papaya the flavor isn’t as important as the velvety texture that it brings. I like to combine a little bit of hot pepper along with it for a nice contrast.
Papaya Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 papaya, firm but ripe.
- 1/4 medium red onion, finely minced
- 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large lime, juiced
- 1 jalapeรฑo pepper, or a Serrano pepper, thinly sliced, seeds and all
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the papaya. A serrated vegetable peeler works well for this kind of job. Scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into a small even dice.
- Mix the papaya with the minced onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and minced hot pepper (if using.) Add salt and pepper to taste, and then taste to adjust any of the ingredients.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. The salsa is best enjoyed the day it is made.
I essentially made this tonight, but I recommend adding an additional fruit (preferably pineapple, but also apples) in a 1:1 or 2:1 papaya:other fruit ratio. Helps give a citric bite to the salsa and works great for carnitas or jerk chicken.
Can you freeze this recipe?
I don’t recommend freezing salsa, Jessica, the texture really suffers when you thaw it.
Will make it tonight for the Rare Fruit Council club meeting. Thanks!
Oh how fun ~ I want to join the club!
This is so delicious- we are snacking on it right out of the fridge.
This looks like a beautiful fresh salsa!
This looks simple and delicious. Thanks for the recipe. And great pics!