• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Low Carb Africa logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Keto Meal Plan
  • Helpful Resources
  • Shop Digital Products
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    • Zaalouk Moroccan Eggplant Dip
      Zaalouk - Moroccan Aubergine Salad
    • dijonnaise dressing with carrots and celery.
      Homemade Dijonnaise Recipe
    • Instant Pot Hot Dogs
      Instant Pot Hot Dogs
    • doro wat spicy Ethiopian chicken stew ready to serve
      Doro Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
    • Air Fryer Cod on a white plate
      Air Fryer Cod
    • Ewedu Soup - Nigerian Soup
    • baked whole catfish on a white and blue plate
      Baked Whole Catfish
    • asun meat peppered goat meat ready to eat
      Asun Recipe (Peppered Goat Meat)
    • keto iced coffee in a cup
      Keto Iced Coffee
    • keto mayonnaise in a bowl
      Keto Mayonnaise Recipe
    • okro soup featured image
      Okro Soup (African Okra Soup)
    • air fryer buffalo chicken wings closeup
      Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
    Home » Lunch and Sides

    Sep 2, 2020

    Kachumbari (Kenyan Tomato and Onion Salad)

    Published on Sep 2, 2020. Updated on May 12, 2023. By Tayo. This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure. 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    kachumbari salad pinterest

    Kachumbari (Kenyan tomato and onion salad) is a light and refreshing East African salad that you can put together in about 15 minutes. It makes a fantastic side dish for your grilled meat, fish, or chicken dinners. Learn the easiest way to make kachumbari!

    East african tomato and onion salad

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love it
    • What does Kachumbari mean?
    • 🥘 Equipment Used
    • 🧾 Ingredients Used
    • 🔪 How To Prepare Kachumbari
    • 🥫 Storing and Reheating
    • 💭 Tips and Variations
    • 🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
    • 👩‍🍳 Frequently asked questions
    • 📚 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why you'll love it

    Kachumbari is a popular East African salad made with tomatoes, onions, and avocado. It is native to Kenya but eaten in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and other countries in that region. Kachumbari salad has a mild and pleasant taste and uses ingredients you probably already have at home!

    What does Kachumbari mean?

    Kachumbari is a Swahili word originating from the Indian word cachumber, which is an Indian salad that uses similar ingredients.

    🥘 Equipment Used

    The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    This kachumbari recipe is very simple and only requires a large bowl, cutting board, and knife.

    🧾 Ingredients Used

    Here are the simple ingredients used to make kachumbari.

    onions, tomato, avocado and cilantro for kachumbari salad.

    Here are the simple ingredients used to make kachumbari.

    • Vegetables: Fresh tomato, red onions, and avocado. An authentic Kenyan kachumbari salad uses just 4 main ingredients - tomatoes, onions, and a little salt and lemon juice. I like to add avocado for more healthy fats and because salad tastes better with avocado, am I right? Also, I use red onions for their color and relatively mild taste.
    • Spices: Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. You only need sea salt and black pepper, but I like to add cayenne pepper for a little spicy kick.
    • Lemon: Lemon not only provides a bit of tartness to this African salad, but it also helps to preserve the color of the avocado. You can also substitute with lime.
    • Cilantro: Cilantro is used as a garnish and is completely optional.

    🔪 How To Prepare Kachumbari

    1. Soak the raw onions in 2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of salt for 10-15 minutes.
    2. While waiting for the onions, cut the tomatoes and avocado and chop the cilantro. Drain the onions and pat dry.
    3. Add the vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Then add the salt, pepper, and juice from the lemon. Mix everything together.
    4. Garnish with cilantro if you wish. Your African tomato and onion salad is ready to eat!
    kachumbari salad from kenya in a glass bowl.

    This recipe serves 4 and contains 5 net carbs per serving.

    🥫 Storing and Reheating

    This simple salad is best consumed the same day and is not a great candidate for leftovers. Since it is so quick and easy to make, just make however much you need at a time.

    Also, storing chopped avocado tends to make it turn dark, and your kachumbari salad might look quite soggy the next day due to the tomato juice.

    But if you still need to store it, I will advise only storing it overnight. First, divide the salad into portions, and don't mix the portion that will be stored in the fridge. Then drain as much of the liquid out and squeeze in some more lemon or lime juice and store it in an airtight container.

    💭 Tips and Variations

    1. Onions can have a pretty strong taste and smell when used in salads. I find it hard to eat raw red onion in a salad, but you can reduce its sharp flavor by soaking them in 2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of salt for 10-15 minutes.
    2. My version of this East African tomato salad is quite basic, but there are a few additional ingredients you can add to take yours to the next level! Try adding red cherry tomatoes, vinegar, chili peppers, parsley, cucumber, lime, and a splash of olive oil.

    🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?

    This East African salad is a perfect accompaniment to your meat or grilled bbq dishes. Add some blackened shrimp to make it even more filling!

    Eat it with:

    Nyama Choma

    Shish Kebab

    Air Fryer Chicken Breast

    Oven Baked Salmon

    Grilled T-bone Steak

    BBQ Grilled Shrimp Skewers

    👩‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

    What is the English name for kachumbari?

    In English, kachumbari means Tomato and Onion Salad. This Kenyan salad is often eaten as a condiment or side salad for roasted meats and pilau rice, although there are many variations of kachumbari across Africa.

    Is kachumbari healthy?

    This simple recipe is incredibly healthy as it is packed full of fresh produce into fresh tomatoes, onions, avocado, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. It's naturally low carb and full of bright, fresh flavor.

    📚 Related Recipes

    Check out these other low carb salads!

    Broccoli Salad with Bacon

    Keto Coleslaw

    Keto Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

    Keto Egg Salad

    tomato and onion salad served in a bowl.

    📖 Recipe

    Kachumbari - Kenyan tomato and onion salad featured image

    Kachumbari - Kenyan Tomato and Onion Salad

    Kachumbari (Kenyan tomato and onion salad) is a light and refreshing East African salad that makes a wonderful side dish for your grilled meats!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved!
    Course: Salads
    Cuisine: African
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 97kcal
    Author: Tayo Oredola
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 tomatoes
    • ¼ red onion
    • ¼ lemon can substitute with lime
    • ½ avocado
    • 3 tablespoon cilantro chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

    Instructions

    • Cut the onions into small pieces.
    • Add 1 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water.
    • Soak the onions for 10-15 minutes.
    • Cut the tomatoes & avocado and chop the cilantro.
    • Drain the onions & pat dry.
    • Mix the vegetables together & season with the spices and juice from the lemon.
    • Garnish with cilantro or any herb of choice.

    Notes

    This recipe serves 2 and contains 4 net carbs per serving.
    • This salad is best eaten the same day. But to store it overnight, divide the salad into portions and don't mix the portion that will be stored in the fridge.
    • Drain as much of the liquid out and squeeze in some more lemon or lime juice. Store it in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Subscribe To My Youtube Channel and watch me make a new recipe every week!
    Get weekly recipes straight to your inbox starting with a free 7-day keto meal plan
    Tried this Recipe? Let me know!tag @lowcarbafrica on Instagram and please leave a comment below

    More African Keto Recipes

    • Nigerian egusi soup in a white bowl
      Egusi Soup
    • Liver and Onions Recipe-IG
      Beef Liver Recipe
    • Molokhia Soup - Egyptian Mulukhiyah Recipe
      Molokhia Soup - Egyptian Mulukhiyah Recipe
    • Sorrel Drink
      Sorrel Drink

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cynthia Thompson says

      September 05, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      can't wait to try

      Reply
      • Tayo says

        September 06, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        Hope you enjoy it, Cynthia!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tayo!

    low carb africa

    Welcome to Low Carb Africa, the home of Keto & Low Carb African-inspired recipes. I specialize in creating mouthwatering recipes with rich, bold, and spicy flavors. Get ready to lose weight, look amazing and be in your best health ever!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Keto Grilling Recipes

    • t-bone steak on a grill.
      How to Cook T-Bone Steak
    • Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
      Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
    • closeup shot of nyama choma
      Nyama Choma (Kenyan Grilled Meat)
    • BBQ Grilled Shrimp ready to serve
      BBQ Shrimp Skewers

    Keto Instant Pot Recipes

    Reader Favorites

    • featured image for keto shrimp curry recipe
      Keto Shrimp Coconut Curry
    • air fryer frozen okra on a plate
      Air Fryer Frozen Okra
    • pouring syrup on keto pancakes
      Keto Pancakes Recipe
    • air fryer chicken gizzard on a white plate.
      Air Fryer Chicken Gizzards

    Popular African Recipes

    • asun meat peppered goat meat ready to eat
      Asun Recipe (Peppered Goat Meat)
    • okro soup featured image
      Okro Soup (African Okra Soup)
    • Nigerian egusi soup in a white bowl
      Egusi Soup
    • close up shot of African chicken stew
      Nigerian Chicken Stew
    • Nigerian ogbono soup ready to eat
      Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup)
    • Efo riro featured image
      Efo Riro - Nigerian Spinach Stew

    Footer

    FEATURED ON:
    low carb africa featured banner

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Browse

    • Recipe Index
    • Shop Digital Products
    • Amazon Store

    Resources

    • Free 7-day keto meal plan
    • African Spices & Seasonings
    • How To Be Successful on Keto
    • What is Fufu?

    Information

    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    COPYRIGHT © 2022. Low Carb Africa, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    Low Carb Africa is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.