Name: Pico de Gallo (Vegan)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1/2 of a large white onion, diced (about 1/2 cup diced); 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced; 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons); 5 Roma tomatoes, diced (about a 1 lb (453 g)); ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped; ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste; Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

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This pico de gallo recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. It’s a raw Mexican condiment that goes great on so many dishes. It adds a nice freshness and a boost of flavor to tacos, taquitos, and so many other recipes.

It’s made with simple ingredients: tomatoes, white onion, chili, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and salt. It’s ready as soon as you combine all the ingredients, but I think it tastes even better after resting for about an hour for all the flavors to blend together. I wouldn’t make it too far in advance, because the tomatoes will soften.

The naturally vegan pico de gallo goes great with lentil walnut tacos, refried bean taquitos with cashew lime crema, or vegan nachos with naturally vegan guacamole. It also works well as a topping for a vegan taco bowl, vegan burrito bowl, or vegan southwest potato bowl.

Tips for Making Pico de Gallo

diced onions and jalapenos in a bowl with lime juice

If serving immediately, macerate the onions and jalapeños, which means to soften. To macerate you’ll place the finely diced onions and jalapeños in a bowl and add the lime juice to the top. They don’t have to be completely submerged, just let them sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients. The acid will cut through the harshness of the raw onion. This part isn’t as necessary if it’s not being served immediately. If you’re chilling your pico beforehand, that will break down the onions in the fridge.
To make it spicier leave the seeds in the jalapeño.
The tomatoes will release a lot of liquid so a slotted spoon works great for serving. I don’t pour off the liquid, if you taste it you’ll see there’s a lot of flavor in there.
Chop the tomatoes small, and finely chop the onion for a more cohesive texture.
The stems of fresh cilantro have a lot of flavor, finely dice them so you don’t get big stem pieces and to not waste them.

Substitutions

Roma tomatoes don’t have as much water as other tomatoes but use what looks good when purchasing your ingredients. Good quality ingredients are best. If you do substitute with a juicier tomato, you can deseed the tomatoes to cut down on the liquid in the pico de gallo.
Can’t find jalapeños, try a Serrano. Keep in mind that a Serrano is hotter than a jalapeño.
Use lemon juice if you can’t find a lime.

How to Store Leftovers?

I think it’s best consumed the day it’s made, but leftovers can be stored for a couple of days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions

I hope you enjoy this easy naturally vegan Pico de Gallo recipe!

Originally published on April 29, 2020, updated on July 5th, 2021.

Recipe

Pico de Gallo (Vegan)

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Allie
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 cups 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This pico de gallo recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. It adds a nice freshness and a boost of flavor to tacos, taquitos, and so many other dishes.

Ingredients

Scale

½ of a large white onion, diced (about ½ cup diced)
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
5 Roma tomatoes, diced (about a 1 lb (453 g))
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

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Instructions

If serving immediately, place the diced onion and diced jalapeño in a bowl, then add the lime juice and let it sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Add the tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and season with pepper to taste.
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days