Name: Pineapple and Cucumber Salsa with Mint
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 cups); 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup); 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons); 1 serrano chile, medium, seeds and ribs removed, then minced (about 2 tablespoons); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves; 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1 - 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime); 1/2 teaspoon Table salt

Why This Recipe Works

The first step in developing a great fruit salsa recipe was to determine which fruits worked best as a foundation—mango, pineapple, nectarine, and melon won. To boost the fruit’s tartness and tone down its sweetness, we added 1 tablespoon or less of lime juice per cup of fruit. We rejected onion for its harsh, dominating flavor but liked the milder-tasting shallot, finely minced. Finally, we added a second, complementary vegetable or fruit to our fruit salsa recipe for more flavor dimension, then allowed the fruit salsa to sit for half an hour to let the flavors fully develop.

Before You Begin

This salsa can be made spicier by mincing and adding the chile's seeds and ribs. It's a nice match with lamb, tuna, salmon, or our blackened red snapper.

Instructions

In medium bowl, toss together pineapple, cucumber, shallot, chile, mint, ginger, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, 15 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with additional lime juice and salt, and add sugar as needed if pineapple is tart; serve.