Pebre (Chilean Fresh Tomato, Onion and Cilantro Salsa)
In short: A fresh, chunky Chilean salsa of tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and green chili with oil and vinegar, served with bread and grilled meat. It takes about 15 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 70 kcal
Pebre is on almost every Chilean table, in a small bowl next to the bread basket, the grill or the empanadas. It is a chunky, fresh salsa of finely chopped tomato, onion and cilantro with garlic, a little green chili, oil and vinegar. The flavor is sharp, herby and bright, and it improves after an hour of resting. Chileans spoon it over grilled meat, sausages, boiled potatoes and warm bread.
Instructions
- Put the chopped onion in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave for 5 minutes. Drain well, which softens the sharp bite of the raw onion.
- Combine the drained onion, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and chilies in a bowl.
- Whisk the oil, vinegar, water, salt and oregano in a small bowl, pour over the vegetables and toss.
- Rest for 30 minutes so the flavors blend. Taste, adjust the salt or vinegar and serve at room temperature.
Tips
- Dice everything small and evenly. The texture should be chunky, not a puree, and seeding the tomatoes keeps the salsa from turning watery.
- For more heat, keep the chili seeds or add a little merkén. Pebre keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but the cilantro darkens, so stir in fresh herb before serving.
Questions and answers
What do you eat pebre with?
Warm bread, grilled meat, sausages, empanadas, boiled potatoes and fish. Chileans also spoon it onto sandwiches and completos.
Is pebre spicy?
Mild to medium. The heat comes from fresh green chili, so you can make it hotter or milder by keeping or removing the seeds.
How is pebre different from pico de gallo?
Both are chopped fresh salsas. Pebre has more cilantro and onion, adds oil and vinegar, and is usually looser, while pico de gallo is drier and uses lime juice.
How long does it take to make Pebre (Chilean Fresh Tomato, Onion and Cilantro Salsa)?
About 15 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pebre (Chilean Fresh Tomato, Onion and Cilantro Salsa)?
About 70 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 5 g of carbohydrates and 5 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 70 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 145 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
