Cucumber Pico De Gallo

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Cucumber Pico de Gallo is a tantalizing vegetable appetizer recipe! Made with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeños, to name a few, you’ll wow your tastebuds and liven up all sorts of tried and true dishes! {Vegan + Paleo}

Friends, I think I found us another way to enjoy our vegetables. This Cucumber Pico de Gallo is the stuff of which dreams are made. And if you aren’t big on vegetables, then don’t fret. There is nothing even remotely boring, bland, or blah about vegetables mixed with lime and cumin.

About this deliciousness

I’m not joking when I say:

• This is my new favorite way to eat my daily servings of vegetables.
• We have made this every week for the last six weeks.
• It goes with everything including chicken, beef, salads, chips, and spoons.

I’ve tried a lot of pico recipes and pretty much loved them all. But I had never made one with cucumbers. And it was because of a fluke that this recipe even happened. On our trip to Northwest Arkansas, we stayed with a friend who made his own salsa. It was delicious and different from other salsas I had tried. So when we got home, I tried to make it from memory. Convinced he had made his version with cucumbers, I sent K-Hubs to Aldi for fresh cucumbers. Turns out, I remembered the recipe wrong. No cucumbers in our friend’s recipe. But by then, we were hooked, and the cucumbers stayed.

So you’ll find a cornucopia of colors and flavors in this easy pico de gallo recipe. Refrigerate this pico de Gallo for up to a week, if it even lasts that long, and notice how the flavors continue to intensify. Honestly, you can’t go wrong. Each bite is as good as the last.

So grab a cutting board, and let’s start chopping!

Cucumber Pico de Gallo ingredients

For the most part you can mix and match the ingredients as you like. So, for example, it won’t matter much whether you dice up some Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Same with bell peppers. Pick a color and chop away. Below is a list of the colors and variations of each that I like best in this recipe. But there is no need to get super-technical. This recipe is hard to mess up.

• Cucumbers. The fresher the better.
• Tomatoes. I like Roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine. And I say the more, the merrier.
• Bell peppers. Any color will do, however I typically go with yellow.
• Jalapeños. For a stronger flavor, add two (that’s what I do), and for a milder flavor, add only one. Make sure to remove as many of the seeds as possible.
• Carrots. Baby carrots work really well in this recipe because they are easy to slice down to size so no one ingredient overpowers any other.
• Red onion. While I gravitate to red onions in my pico recipes, the truth is you can use any color of onion you want and still end up with a mouthwatering vegan appetizer.
• Cilantro. Fresh cilantro is a must here.
• Cumin, lime juice, and sea salt. These I do mostly to taste, and the amount I use depends largely on how fresh the other ingredients are (I usually use MORE if the ingredients end up not being as fresh as I first thought).

How to make Cucumber Pico de Gallo

This is mostly a chop-and-throw-into-the-bowl kind of recipe. 

1. Chop up the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeños, carrots, and red onion. Transfer them to a large bowl and stir until well mixed.
2. Mince the cilantro and stir it into the pico mixture.
3. Then add the cumin, lime juice, and sea salt.
4. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Best practices for the best flavor

This is a super-easy pico de gallo recipe to make. However, there are a few hacks so you get the best flavor!

• Use fresh cilantro. This is not a recipe to use up leftover herbs. Even the other flavors in the recipe won’t make up for spoiled cilantro.
• Add more sea salt and/or cumin for extra flavor. If the ingredients just aren’t as ripened as you’d like, then add more seasonings.
• You can also add more lime juice, however add it in sparingly so as not to douse the pico and make it mushy. As the recipe sets, the juices from the other ingredients will release and pool at the bottom of the container you use to store your pico. Depending on your preferred consistency, more liquid (in this case the lime juice) may or may not be desired.

Recipe FAQs

• Why is my Pico de Gallo watery? This happens as the juices from the culinary vegetables release as they set (looking right at you, cucumbers and tomatoes). Roma tomatoes and tomatoes on the vine tend to be less watery than other types of tomatoes. You can also chop your cucumber ahead of time and pat the chopped pieces lightly to absorb excess water. Be careful not to mush the cucumber.
• Why is my Pico de Gallo bland? This is typically because you need more sea salt or lime juice. It could also be because the cilantro isn’t fresh. Extra sea salt and lime juice can help mask the earthy flavor of past-prime cilantro.
• What if I’m not sure how hot I want my Pico de Gallo to be? Then I suggest starting with just one jalapeño or even half of one. It’s also easier to add more heat to this dish than to try to neutralize it after the fact.

All the flavors!

If you are new to pico de gallo recipes and want to expand your repertoire, then you might also enjoy these fresh, tasty treats!

• Hot ‘n Spicy Pico de Gallo
• Homemade Pico de Gallo

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always know I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Cucumber Pico De Gallo

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Cucumber Pico de Gallo is a delicious way to enjoy your vegetables! Mix and match your food colors for a mouthwatering treat! {Paleo + Vegan}

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 7 cups 1x
• Category: Appetizers
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cucumbers, chopped
• 4–5 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 cup baby carrots, chopped
• 1–2 jalapeños, finely chopped and seeds removed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

1. Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, carrots, and jalapeños in a large mixing bowl and stir together.
2. Add the minced cilantro and stir until well blended. Use a fork, if necessary, to break up any clumps.
3. Pour in the lime juice and then add the cumin and sea salt. Stir until ingredients are evenly coated.
4. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

• Make sure to use fresh cilantro in this recipe.
• Tomatoes on the vine will also work.
• If working with large baby carrots, slice them lengthwise first and then slice or dice as desired.
• Add more cumin and sea salt if the vegetables aren’t quite ripened.
• If adding more lime juice, do so carefully. As the pico de gallo sits, the juices from the ingredients will release and pool at the bottom of the bowl. Adding too much lime juice may make the pico de gallo mushy.