Dragon Fruit Salsa

This dragon fruit salsa is built around the fruit’s jewel-toned flesh: mildly sweet, subtly floral and studded with tiny, crunchy seeds that give the salsa a delicately interesting texture. Paired with crisp red bell pepper, a hit of red onion and bright lime, the salad-like salsa reads as both a condiment and a light salad — vivid on the plate and delicate on the palate. It’s at its best when you want something that looks celebratory but tastes clean and refreshing rather than cloyingly fruity.

What makes this version work is the restraint — just three tablespoons of lime to lift the fruit, a touch of honey to round the acidity, and a short rest so the flavors marry without turning the dragon fruit to mush. Keep the dice around half an inch so each scoop includes fruit, pepper and herb, and seed the jalapeño if you want only background warmth. This is a salsa for home cooks who like to entertain with color: it pulls double duty as a chip dip, a bright topper for grilled seafood, or a cooling contrast on a spicy taco night.