Kick-in-the-Face Kiwi Salsa Recipe

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Kiwi Salsa is my new favorite winter pick-me-up. It's one of my all-time favorite kiwi recipes because it's so zingy and refreshing, easy to make, and jazzes up so many otherwise basic dinners. This kiwi salsa is officially part of my complete strategy for saying a big F-U to the cold weather blues.

I've had salsa on my mind a lot lately because as I'm writing this, we're nearing the end of winter. After months of dark afternoons and snow, rain, and general gloominess, I'm feeling ready to get outside, cheer-the-heck up, and get some bright sunny energy into my life in whatever way possible. This delightfully gingery Kiwi Salsa is one of the ways I'm doing that.

What you'll need to make this kiwi fruit recipe 🥝

This salsa is one of the best uses for kiwifruit IMO. Here's what you'll need:

Kiwi: Try to get nice ripe ones. You can use green or yellow kiwis here.
Ginger: This is a key ingredient. If you've never had kiwi and ginger together, you're in for a treat!
Lime: Nothing beats lime juice in any salsa recipe.
Shallot: I like the sweet mildness of shallot in this kiwi salsa recipe. But if red onion is what you've got, it'll work too.
Cilantro: I guess it's optional, but I think the savoriness of it plays off the sweet, tart kiwi really well. And I just love cilantro.
Salt: To bring out the flavor of all the other ingredients.

How to make this Kiwi Salsa recipe

Putting this kiwi salsa together couldn't be easier.

Step 1 - Peel the kiwis and chop them into small cubes - about 1 centimeter each (or smaller).

Step 2 - Put the chopped kiwi in a bowl, and grate the ginger in using a Microplane or fine grater.

A woman prepares to grate a piece of ginger into a bowl of kiwi salsa.

Step 3 - Finely mince the shallot and add that to the ginger and kiwi.

Step 4 - Add the cilantro and the salt, squeeze over the lime juice and stir to combine.

Step 5 - Serve the kiwi salsa with fish, chicken, shrimp, over grilled halloumi, or just about anything you can imagine.

lettuce cups filled with poached prawns and kiwi salsa. — Poached shrimp and kiwi salsa nestled into some lettuce cups. Highly recommend!

Tips for success

These tips for success will help you make the best Kiwi Salsa:

Try to find kiwis that are nice and ripe, but not too soft. If they're unripe, they'll be hard and sour. If they're too soft, you'll end up with a mushy salsa. Plus, if they're perfectly ripe, you can easily peel them with a spoon! (keep the spoon handy and you can use it to peel the ginger too!
To get the most juice out of your lime, be sure to roll it on the countertop before you cut into it. More lime juice means more deliciousness (at least in my opinion).

Peeled kiwis and their trimmings on a cutting board.

Ways you can adapt this recipe

If you don't like cilantro, feel free to leave it out. A bit of parsley would be nice in it's place, or you can just go herb-free.
If you don't have shallots, feel free to use finely diced red onion, or the white part of green onion instead.

What goes well with this Kiwi Salsa?

This salsa is super versatile. Add a spoonful to the top of your grilled chicken, fish, Halloumi cheese, or top your tacos or burrito bowls with it.

Storage tips

Make it, eat it. The end!

Just kidding. If you must, you can definitely keep this Kiwi Salsa in the fridge for up to a day, but if at all possible, I highly recommend eating it within an hour or so of making it. It's really important that the kiwi retain its firmness and integrity. The longer it sits, the softer it'll get, and the sadder you will be. (Kidding again. It's really no big deal.)

Frequently asked questions

What if I can't find kiwifruit?

The ingredients in this kiwifruit salsa could really act as supporting ingredients for any in-season, juicy, fresh fruit. Peaches or nectarines in summer? Yes. Persimmons in December? Definitely. Think of this as a fruit salsa framework.

What if I can't find shallots?

Use red onion or the white part of green onion. It'll be great!

Why isn't my kiwi peeling as yours does in the video?

Probably because it's under ripe. If the kiwis are too firm, you can't really use that trick. Sorry!

My kiwis are definitely under ripe. What do I do?

Add up to a teaspoon of honey or sugar to the salsa and allow it to sit for 20-30 minutes after it's mixed together. You'll never know the difference

Still Hungry?

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I hope you love this kiwi fruit salsa as much as I do! It is truly one of my favorite kiwi fruit recipes of all time. If you love it, please feel free to share this recipe with a friend. We could all use a little kick from time to time! If you tag me @howtomakedinner I'll be able to see your salsas, and I'd really love that.