Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Pomegranate and Queso Fresco Salsa

By Marcela Valladolid

3.8

(3)

Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Bean and Lentil
Pomegranate and Queso Fresco SalsaTK

This is a salsa, but whenever I make it I just end up eating it by the spoonful like a salad. The combination of the tart, crisp pomegranate, creamy cheese, and crunchy pine nuts makes a wonderful topping for grilled fish or even a carne asada taco. Pine nuts can be expensive because of the labor-intensive work of extracting them from the pine cones, plus they have a high fat content, which makes them turn rancid quickly. So buy a small quantity and store them in the fridge for no longer than three months.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or feta
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    1 Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

    Step 2

    2 In a small bowl, mix the pomegranate seeds, basil, queso fresco, and cooled pine nuts. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Reprinted with permission from Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor by Marcela Valladolid, © 2011 Clarkson Potter a division of Random House, Inc. MARCELA VALLADOLID is the host of Discovery Travel and Living's Relatos con Sabor (Stories with Flavor), which airs in every Latin American country and on Discovery Familia in the United States. Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, she attended the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and later the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. A former recipe editor/tester at Bon Appétit magazine, she became widely known after appearing as a contestant on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She and her young son divide time between Tijuana and San Diego.
TagsSalsaCondimentMexicanLatin AmericanPomegranateFruitQueso FrescoCheeseDairyFetaPine NutNutGluten FreeVegetarianQuickEasyWeeknight Meals5 Ingredients or FewerCookbooks

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Essential Easter Recipes for Brunch, Dinner, and Dessert
Grab your Easter basket and hop in—you’ll want to collect each and every one of these fun and easy Easter recipes.
Apple-Walnut Charoset
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
31 Easter Desserts, Each One Better Than a Chocolate Egg
Like airy lemon chiffon cake and a Cadbury egg–inspired tart.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in March
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
31 Spring Cocktails for Warmer Days Ahead
Think a Hugo spritz, a gin basil smash, and plenty more patio-ready pours.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.