Salsa Criolla, Peruvian Red Onion Relish
Salsa criolla is the relish that sits on nearly every Peruvian table, spooned over beans, potatoes, stews, and sandwiches to wake them up. It is mostly red onion, and the whole art is in taming it. Sliced thin and soaked in cold water for ten minutes, the onion loses its raw sulfur harshness and turns sweet and crisp, so it works as a salad rather than a garnish. Lime juice and a spoon of aji amarillo, Peru's fruity yellow chile, do the seasoning, with tomato and cilantro folded in at the end. There is no oil and no salt: the acid and the chile carry it, the way they are meant to.
Ingredients
- 2 Red onions, sliced paper-thin
- 3 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tbsp Aji amarillo paste
- 1 Fresh tomatoe, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 Limes, for juice
Method
- Slice the onions as thin as you can manage, cutting with the grain into slivers rather than across into rings, which keeps them crisp.
- Soak the slivers in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This single step is what separates salsa criolla from a pile of raw onion: the cold water pulls out the harsh sulfur bite, so you can eat it by the forkful.
- Toss the drained onion with the lime juice and aji amarillo paste until every sliver is coated yellow. The aji brings the fruity, floral heat that defines Peruvian cooking, with very little burn.
- Fold in the sliced tomato and cilantro just before serving, so the tomato stays firm and does not weep into the bowl.
- Let it sit 10 minutes. The lime softens the onion further and does the seasoning that salt would, which is why none is needed. Pile it on beans, potatoes, or a grain bowl.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 45 calories, 1 g protein, 2 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
