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This Creamy Pico de Gallo with Cabbage is a Mexican-inspired dip or salad with crunchy cabbage and creamy avocado and cilantro dressing.
This Creamy Pico de Gallo with Cabbage is inspired by the classic Mexican dip, but has added cabbage for extra crunch and a creamy cilantro-avocado dressing! This recipe can be enjoyed as a healthy and veggie-packed dip to serve with chips, or you can enjoy it as a hearty salad or side alongside your favorite Mexican or Tex Mex eats.
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A Mexican-Inspired Dip or Salad
Pico de gallo is a classic Mexican condiment where it is traditionally enjoyed as a dip with tortilla chips. Pico de Gallo directly translates to “rooster beak”, which could allude to the fact that this dip was originally eaten plain and picked up by pinching your thumb and forefinger together (to form a sort of beak).
This recipe is heavily inspired by the classic pico de gallo (which I love) – I wanted to use the same flavors of pico, but add some extra cabbage for volume and a creamy dressing that could turn this dip into a salad, if desired. I’m pretty happy with the result and I think you’ll love it too; it’s by no means a replacement for pico, but a fun alternative to make from time to time when the craving strikes!
Ingredients for Pico de Gallo With Cabbage
You will need 10 simple and budget-friendly ingredients to make this recipe:
- Green Cabbage: this adds volume and crunch to our creamy pico de gallo! You could also use red cabbage in a pinch, but I think green cabbage visually looks better with all of the other ingredients and dressing. You’ll need about 3 cups of cabbage for this recipe, which is half of a small head
- Roma Tomatoes: a classic pico de gallo ingredient; I recommend using Roma tomatoes because they have a firmer texture and less liquid than other tomatoes, which prevents this recipe from getting soggy.
- White Onion: white onion has a milder flavor than yellow onion or red onion; half of a medium onion adds the perfect amount of kick and flavor to this recipe
- Jalapeño Peppers: these mild peppers add a lovely flavor and crunch! I recommend de-seeded your peppers to make a mild dip, but you can also keep a few seeds in if you like things spicier.
- Cilantro: adds a lovely herby flavor and vibrant color to our creamy dressing
- Lime Juice: fresh lime juice adds the perfect amount of acidity and a subtle sweetness!
- Ground Cumin: this earthy spice helps to add some depth of flavor, but if you’re not a fan you can leave it out!
- Avocado: the main base of our creamy dressing
- Avocado Oil: the oil is optional in this recipe, but I recommend adding it as it helps to make the dressing smoother.
How to Make Creamy Pico de Gallo
The hardest part of this recipe is chopping all of your veggies – but even that passes quickly with some good music or a show!
- Chop all of your veggies finely, then mix together in a large bowl
- Blend the dressing ingredients together in a blender, until thick and creamy
- Mix the dressing with the veggies, then serve and enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Chop Your Ingredients Finely: the *key* to the best texture for this dip is to chop all of your ingredients finely! Personally I think it’s worth it to do it by hand, but you could also use a food processor for the cabbage, jalapeños, and onion to save on prep time.
- No Blender? No Problem! If you don’t have a blender you can also also make this dressing in a food processor – just make sure to roughly chop all ingredients first to make sure everything blends smoothly.
- Is this recipe Gluten-free? Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
Ways to Serve this Creamy Pico de Gallo
I love this recipe because it’s so versatile! You can serve this creamy Pico de Gallo with Cabbage as…
- A chunky dip – the perfect appetizer; best with tortilla chips!
- A salsa or slaw – serve over tacos and grain bowls or stuff in a burrito or sandwich
- A salad or side – this creamy pico de gallo goes perfectly with all of your Tex Mex or Mexican entrees (like this Black Bean Casserole or these Sheet Pan Fajitas)
If you’re looking for more dip recipes, you’ll also love this Salsa Verde, this Garden Salsa, Guacamole, and this Seven Layer Dip!
How to Store this Recipe
I like to let this Creamy Pico de Gallo sit for about 15 minutes (preferably in the fridge) after mixing for the best flavor and crunch!
This recipe is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. The salt in the recipe will cause the cabbage and other vegetables to soften and release some water. The salad will be softer, but overall still pretty crunchy.
Recipe FAQs
Pico de Gallo is a classic Mexican dip or condiment made from tomatoes, jalapenos, white onion, cilantro, and lime juice. This recipe is inspired by pico de gallo, but not traditional!
Yes, with a few alterations! You can cut the veggies and make the dressing up to 1 day in advance, but I recommend storing them in the fridge separately and mixing right before servng!
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Creamy Pico de Gallo with Cabbage
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 cups green cabbage finely chopped (about 1/2 small head cabbage)
- 6 roma tomatoes small dice
- 4 jalapeños cored and finely diced
- 1/2 white onion fine dice
- 1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
For the Cilantro Lime Dressing: (blender but mention can also use food processor)
- 1 avocado
- 1 jalapeño cored and de-seeded
- 1/4 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil optional, for a smoother dressing
- 1/3 cup water plus more as necessary
Instructions
- Salad Prep: Chop all of the produce into small pieces. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and cilantro to a large bowl.
- Make the Dressing: Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and add to a blender along with the jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, salt, lime juice, avocado oil (if using), and water. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until a very thick and smooth dressing forms. If the mixture is too thick for your blender to blend smoothly, add additional water in 2 tablespoon increments.
- Combine: Pour the dressing over the salad and mix everything together until evenly distributed.
- Serve & Store: Serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to let the salad chill and flavors to mingle before serving. Enjoy as a salad or as a dip with chips; store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
