Avocado Salsa

Avocado Salsa is a tasty combination of avocado, tomatoes and black olives. This simple salsa is a cross between guacamole and classic tomato salsa. It’s easy to make and perfect to serve with tacos or as delicious appetiser with tortilla chips

Why should I make Avocado Salsa?

I have tried several different ready-made tomato salsas bought from the supermarket. They are convenient but even the ‘fresh’ salsa from the chiller cabinet lacks the fresh flavour that you get from a homemade salsa.

This Avocado Salsa is quick and easy to make with a fresh and zesty flavour that really lifts any dish you serve it with. It also tastes good enough to eat on its own as an appetiser with vegetable sticks and tortilla chips.

What is a salsa?

Salsa simply means sauce in Spanish and there are a variety of different salsas made with all kinds of fruit and vegetables. However, the key ingredients of a classic salsa are tomato, onion and chilli.

What ingredients do I need to make Avocado Salsa?

This is a really simple recipe with only 5 ingredients and there is no cooking required. You will need:

• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Olives
• Olive Oil
• Lemon juice
• Coriander (Cilantro)

A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.

What are Avocados?

Avocados are the seed bearing fruit of a tender evergreen tree from Mexico and Central America. The creamy taste and texture of avocados has made it very popular across the world. It’s the key ingredient in guacamole is delicious sliced into salads and avocado on toast is a popular snack.

What kind of tomatoes should I use in the Avocado Salsa?

There are three things to take into account when you choose tomatoes for your salsa.

1. Choose tomatoes that are ripe but still firm.
2. Sweet tomatoes make the tastiest salsa, they are so important to the final flavour of the dish.
3. If you can, choose tomatoes that don’t have a lot of juice and seeds. If you only have tomatoes that have lots of seeds then scoop them out before chopping up the tomatoes.

I prefer to use cherry or grape tomatoes in salsa. Although as I grow my own tomatoes I do sometimes use Roma Italian tomatoes as they are really fleshy and have a great flavour.

Do I need to remove the skins from the tomatoes for salsa?

You can remove the skins if you prefer, I don’t mind eating tomato skins as long as they are nicely ripe.

To easily remove tomato skins, cut a small cross in the skin of base of each tomato. Put the tomatoes into a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Leave for 2 minutes then carefully drain away the hot water. The skins should slip off easily.

What kind of olives should I use in the Avocado Salsa?

I use black olives in this salsa. They can be any kind of black olives although I tend to use the deli counter olives. As I find the ones in jars and foil packs tend to be very salty and overwhelm the delicate flavour of the avocado. If you prefer green olives then they will work equally well, although you do lose a bit of colour contrast.

Do I have to include olives in the salsa?

If you don’t like olives or don’t have any to hand, then you can leave them out. I like the salty, savoury flavour of olives and they also add a slightly different texture to the salsa. Black olives tend to have a milder taste than green olives but it is definitely an acquired taste.

I don’t like coriander (cilantro) what can I substitute?

Fresh coriander leaves are often used in Mexican recipes. However, to some people they taste like soap and can ruin the dish. If you don’t like coriander then you can leave it out, replace it with parsley or even fresh basil leaves which are a good pairing with tomatoes.

Can I make Avocado Salsa ahead of time?

Avocado will start to brown if it is prepared too far in advance. Even if you toss the avocado flesh in lime or lemon juice there is still a change in texture.

If you need to get ahead, then I recommend you prepare the tomatoes and olives but leave the avocados and coriander until about 30 minutes before you plan to eat the salsa.

Can I freeze Avocado Salsa?

This recipe is not suitable for freezing. Although you can freeze avocado I would not recommend freezing the prepared salsa as there would be a significant change in the texture and loss of freshness.

Can I increase the quantities?

Yes, you can double, treble or quadruple the ingredients if you are entertaining and need to make a larger quantity.

Vegetarian

This recipe is suitable for vegetarians.

Gluten Free

This recipe does not contain any wheat products and should be suitable for a GF diet. Serve with GF tortilla chips or vegetable sticks.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Avocado Salsa?

There are many different ways to serve this delicious salsa, here are some suggestions:

• Serve as an appetiser with homemade tortilla chips, pitta bread or fresh vegetable sticks.
• Avocado Salsa makes a great side dish for any Mexican recipe. Serve with tacos, fajitas, burritos and chilli.
• Make a mezze platter with a variety of salsas and dips such as Air Fryer Courgette Baba Ganoush, Sun Dried Tomato Dip and Wild Garlic Hummus.
• Add this salsa to your salad plate or pile onto a slice sourdough bread for a rustic open sandwich.

More great Salsa recipes

• Papaya Salsa from Tin & Thyme
• Radish and Lime Salsa from Supper in the Suburbs
• Sweetcorn Salsa from Hungry Healthy Happy
• Watercress Salsa Verde from Hedgecombers
• Peach Salsa from Feast Glorious Feast

Originally published in 2017