Kachumbari
Kachumbari is a specialty in Kenya and Tanzania that makes an insanely delightful East African onion and tomato salad! Spicy, simple, and flavor-packed for a refreshing and healthy salad or topping.
This salad is a riot of colors, and you will definitely fall in love. I like putting my own spin on the traditional Kenyan recipe for kachumbari. Adding avocado and beefing it up with some beef tomatoes (pun intended) adds joy. Avocado adds healthy fat, which makes it rich – so rich that you might just get full on the salad!
The presentation is up to the chef, too. I like serving this salad atop sliced beef tomatoes. However, you could dice all the ingredients and mix them with olive oil and lime or balsamic vinegar. That way, you can scoop it up with a spoon or chip.
What Is Kachumbari?
Kachumbari is the Swahili name for fresh tomato and onion salad. The basic ingredients are tomatoes and onions, but the rest is up to the cook.
You can slice it, dice it, chop it, blend it – whatever floats your boat. I’ve tried it several ways, and they all work.
How to Make Kachumbari
- Combine all the salad ingredients: tomatoes, onion, cucumber, jalapeno, lime and herbs.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Dressing – Combine the garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and herbs in a blender. Process until well blended, or pour all the ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake it up really well.
- Salad – Place beef tomato slices on a plate, spread mashed avocado on them, then top with kachumbari. (Photo 1)
- Dressing – Drizzle with the dressing and serve extra on the side. (Photo 2)
Recipe Variations
- Skip my optional ingredients. Make the salad sans the avocado and beef tomatoes for a more delicate-looking side salad.
- Add protein. A can of tuna or chicken added to this salad delivers a healthy lunch or a more filling snack.
- Customize the veggies. Feel free to add other bright, crunchy fruits or vegetables. Sweet peppers, mango, or pineapple would be tasty options. 😋
- Kachumbari slaw. Add sliced cabbage and shredded carrots, and replace the dressing with half a cup of mayo mixed with a tablespoon of berbere spice.
Tips and Tricks
- You can peel the cucumber if you don’t care for the skin. Or you can stripe the skin with a peeler for an interesting visual effect.
- Fresh herbs are key in this recipe! Of course, you can swap them out for dried herbs if you don’t have fresh ones.
- Assemble the kachumbari a half hour before you plan to serve it so the veggies retain their delicious crunch.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Feel free to make the dressing ahead of time. Then refrigerate it in a screw-top jar until you’re ready to make the kachumbari salad.
I wouldn’t recommend assembling the salad the day before, though, as the vegetables will get soft and lose their crunch.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve kachumbari right after assembling it and eat it all up because it’s best consumed fresh.
In case of leftovers, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container. Just keep the salad separate from the mashed avocado.
What Goes With Kachumbari
Kachumbari makes a fabulous side for grilled flank steak, spicy grilled New York strip, or any grilled meat, for that matter. It also makes the perfect dip for homemade pita chips, plantain chips, and even taro chips.
Wine pairing: I highly recommend washing it down with a glass of white sangria, as the sweetness matches the salad’s spicy freshness.
More Great East African Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in February 2015 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful pictures.
Kachumbari
Ingredients
Kachumbari
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- ½ large red onion, diced
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 optional beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced
- 1-2 optional avocados, mashed (add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice to retain color)
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons (15ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley and basil, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine diced tomatoes, onion, cucumber, jalapeno, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro or parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Emulsify garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender or shake in a screw-top jar until well blended.
- Pour the desired amount of dressing on the salad right before serving and mix well.
- Place a slice of beef tomato on a plate, spread mashed avocado on the tomato, then top with kachumbari. Add more dressing if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- You can peel the cucumber if you don’t care for the skin. Or you can stripe the skin with a peeler for an interesting visual effect.
- Fresh herbs are key in this recipe! Of course, you can swap them out for dried herbs if you don’t have fresh ones.
- Assemble the kachumbari a half hour before you plan to serve it so the veggies retain their delicious crunch.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
In my opinion, is that the perfect Recipe for a hot Summer day. Very fresh, because the lime and lemon juice and the small amount of Fire because the Jalapeños makes it perfect. And, not to forget that it’s fast and easy made and even healthy.
Greetings from Germany
So delicious! Like a sweet and tangy pico de gallo. This is a keeper.
Awesome ! Thanks for the feedback.
It was amazeballs!!
Thanks!!!
I really liked it. Doubled the portions and the whole family enjoyed 🙂
Thanks for trying it out!
I want to feast on this!!!!
Go ahead it and make it . You will totally enjoy it