Light and fresh, kachumbari is a tomato and onion salad that makes for a perfect summer side dish to pair with your grilled meats!
Kachumbari: Bring On Fresh Flavors
Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad that is popular in East Africa, particularly in Kenya, but also in Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.
This salad with a Swahili name is popular as a side dish or condiment for summer-time grilled meats and rice dishes.
Think of kachumbari like pico de gallo in Latin American cuisine, but while pico de gallo is used primarily as a garnish or condiment, kachumbari is eaten as a side salad and used as a condiment as well.
A Simple Summer Salad
Kachumbari really is such a simple dish that is perfectly bursting with summer flavors. Tomatoes, onions, avocado, and chili peppers come together, flavored with a light lime juice and cilantro dressing.
With so few ingredients, each one shines forth like a bright and crisp reminder of warm weather and fresh flavors.
How To Make Kachumbari: A Trick To Get The Bite Out Of Fresh Onions
The one unique (and very important) element to remember when making kachumbari is the soaking of the onions.
We had never heard of soaking onions before adding them to a fresh salad before, but trust us, it’s worth the (very little) effort it takes.
You know that pungent bite you experience when you bit into a piece of strong, raw onion?
It’s enough to make you go super light on the raw onions in any fresh dish.
But kachumbari is pretty onion heavy. And we don’t want that bite.
To remedy this problem the onions for kachumbari are massaged with salt and then covered in water. As they soak in the salty water, it pulls the bitterness from the onion.
You’ll be surprised how mild and flavorful the onions are after even a brief soak in the salt water brine. It mellows them out perfectly, making them ready to play nicely with the other fresh ingredients in this salad.
Honestly, this is a trick we’ll be using for other summer salads and coleslaw as well!
Kachumbari (Kenyan Fresh Tomato and Onion Salad)
Ingredients
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large tomatoes
- ¾ avocado
- 1 small chili (optional)
- ½ lime, juiced (approx 1 Tbsp juice)
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Place the diced onion in a small bowl and massage the salt into the onion pieces. Cover the salted onions with water and let stand for 10 min.
- Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes, avocado, and chili (if using). Place them in a medium bowl.
- Drain the onions and add them to the vegetables.
- Finish by adding the lime juice and cilantro.
- Mix well and taste the salad. Add salt or more lime juice if desired.
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Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Henry
Sunday 26th of February 2023
I like this website because it tells me what I need to make all this food!
Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere
Wednesday 1st of March 2023
Thanks Henry! We're glad you enjoy the site!
Lavender
Friday 22nd of July 2022
The recipe is good but what about making with cabbage
Sarah Ozimek
Saturday 30th of July 2022
Hi Lavender. Yes, in different parts of Africa they do make it with cabbage. We haven't dove into those recipes yet, but will soon!
Njoroge
Friday 7th of January 2022
Good recipe! But I have to say as a Kenyan, nobody makes kachumbari with avocadoes there that's serving to majority Kenyans and not tourists, kua serious
Sarah Ozimek
Saturday 8th of January 2022
Very interesting and good to know. Thanks for sharing!
yannamae
Sunday 6th of June 2021
We made it for my boyfriend's activity for HRM. It was soo good. It will go along so good with salted egg or grinded meat.
Sarah Ozimek
Monday 7th of June 2021
So glad you enjoyed it!
Mohamed
Sunday 8th of November 2020
It was delicious, thank you
Sarah Ozimek
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Glad you enjoyed it!