Forget Tomatoes: Cucumber Is The Star Of Refreshing Salsa This Summer

Pico de gallo has been a staple in Mexican cooking for generations, and part of its beauty is its simplicity. It is truly a dish where every ingredient has a job, and so little swaps can change the salsa's flavor massively without having to lose any of the signature freshness. One such swap is trading traditional tomatoes for cucumbers to create a summer salsa that is significantly more crunchy and cooling than the original. Cucumbers are composed mostly of water and unlike tomatoes, they don't add anything in the way of sweetness or acidity. Instead, they create a crisp backdrop that allows the other ingredients to stand out against it, and then from there, you can get even more creative.

While fruit like pineapple or mango would work beautifully here to bring in some of the sweetness we're missing from the tomatoes, few ingredients are more summery than grilled corn. Cooking corn on a high heat triggers caramelization, and makes the kernels taste sweeter than they do straight off the cob. Cook them on a hot grill or skillet until they're charred and then mix them through a cucumber salsa that is otherwise built like a pico de gallo with red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime. This dip will have a bit more texture than a classic pico de gallo, since cucumbers are firmer than tomatoes, but it'll still work beautifully in all the same places.

The biggest caveat with this swap is that cucumbers release water after they are cut, so many chefs recommend you salt them briefly and pat them dry before adding them anywhere they need to stay crisp. And while in many recipes, cucumber varieties are interchangeable, Persian or English cucumbers are probably the best choice for a cucumber salsa as they contain fewer and much softer seeds than standard slicing cucumbers. English and Persian cucumbers also have thinner skins, so they can usually be left unpeeled which brings a little extra color, texture, and fiber — a thicker skin variety or a peel that feels especially tough is probably best removed. Then, cut the cucumber into evenly sized pieces so that the final salsa stays as scoopable as possible.

The cucumber salsa will be crisp, smoky, tangy, spicy, and incredibly refreshing, less of a replacement for traditional pico de gallo and more so a seasonal variation — which makes perfect sense at a time of year when cucumbers and sweet corn are at their best. You can spoon it over some grilled protein or into crispy beef tacos or steak fajitas, turn it into a refreshing summer dip served with tortilla chips, or use it as a bright topping for a heartier grain bowl.