Avocado Salad

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A creamy avocado-based salad is an easy 30-second side dish to make. It’s light and refreshing. Throw in some veggies and you’ve got a quick avocado salad for lunch or dinner that you can eat on the run.

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Avocados are packed with healthy fats and potassium, but they’re often overlooked as a meal ingredient.

Why make this salad

• This avocado salad is a tasty treat for anyone looking for something light and quick.
• A great way to make a simple salad rich and creamy without all the extra fat is to use avocado. In fact, often I will mash the avocado in the blender and serve it instead of mayo with fries and chips.
• This is an everyday salad that gets ready in a snap.
• You can serve this as a healthy side dish for starch with any protein. In fact, I often will eat my main courses such as chicken or fish with salad instead of rice or potatoes. And while my kids claim they want to eat rice, I find them enjoying this salad because it’s so creamy and refreshing.
• And, the best thing about this salad is that almost everything can be switched or substituted. If you don’t like something you can easily omit or switch it to something else.
• This salad keeps well so you can make it a few hours ahead and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a day in the refrigerator.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Avocado – use ripe avocados but make sure it is not mushy or firm. You want it soft enough to be able to eat with a fork but still hold its shape.
• Tomatoes – I am using cherry tomatoes but you can use one large tomato cut into cubes. I like to deseed large tomatoes to keep the salad from getting too soggy. When in the season I love to use multi-colored grape tomatoes.
• Cucumbers – I am using an English cucumber but any variety that you love eating such as Persian or pole cumbers works too. Make sure to use a nice crisp cucumber not too soft that will release too much liquid.
• Onion – When it comes to a salad, I love the Spanish red onion. It has a wonderful sweetness to it. If you don’t like raw onions, add a few tablespoons of the dressing to the onions and leave them aside for 5 minutes. This softens it and takes away that raw taste.
• Olives – I like to add a variety of olives, preferably deseeded so no one bites into the seeds.
• Lemon juice – You can also add fresh lime juice, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. If you like a lemon flavor go ahead and add the zest in too.
• Olive oil – When it comes to salads, I love to use good quality cold-pressed olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.
• Fresh herbs – I am using parsley today but fresh cilantro, mint, dill, and fresh basil are a great addition too.
• Optional ingredients
  • Garlic – a 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder in the dressing adds a wonderful flavor.
  • Oregano – a sprinkle of dried oregano in the dressing is wonderful.
  • Spice – I’m not a big fat of spicy in my salad but if you do, then a dash of red pepper flakes or hot sauce to the dressing.

Easy avocado salad recipe

• Prep dressing – In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Use a whisk to combine well. Set aside.
• Prep the veggies – Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. Chop the avocados just before you are about to make the salad.
• Combine – In a large bowl, combine the chopped veggies, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, onions, parsley, and olives.
• Dressing – Pour over the salad dressing and toss everything to combine well.

Variations

• Chicken avocado salad – make a complete meal for lunch or dinner. Add up to 2 cups of diced cooked chicken breast to the salad.
• Tuna avocado salad – Add a can of drained and flaked tuna to the salad.
• Shrimp avocado salad – Add up to 2 cups of sauteed shrimp to this avocado salad.
• Tomato avocado salad – you can omit the other veggies and add only tomato and avocado with this dressing.
• Cucumber avocado salad – omit the other veggies and add only chopped crisp tomato and avocado with this dressing.
• Egg avocado salad – add 2 chopped boiled eggs to this salad and dressing.

How to choose, cut, and store avocado?

• Choosing an avocado
  • It should be firm but have a little give when you press.
  • If the avocado is hard it means it is not ready so don’t cut it.
  • You can ripen an avocado in a paper bag in about 2 to 4 days.
  • Adding a banana to the paper bag will speed up the process of ripening.
• Cutting an avocado
  • Cut each avocado in half first. Then, twist and it should open into two.
  • Carefully stick the sharp side of a knife into the pit and twist it. The pit will get stuck to the knife. Lift it off and throw the pit.
  • Next, use a spoon to scoop the whole avocado out of the skin.
  • Then, cut into strips on one side. Turn and cut again. That should give you squares perfect for your salad.
• Storing avocado
  • Store avocado on the counter, in fact, a paper bag will help ripen the avocados quicker.
  • Always cut avocado just before you are going to serve because it does oxidize quickly.
  • Squeezing lemon juice and covering it well with plastic will slow the process of oxidization.
  • If you need half an avocado. Leave the other half with the pit on, wrap well in plastic and store it in the fridge. It will stay good for 24 hours before oxidizing.

More salad recipes

• Cherry Tomato Salad – Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Chickpeas Salad or Couscous Salad
• Beet Salad
• Asian Salad Recipe
• Lebanese Roasted Eggplant Salad
• Easy Celery Salad Recipe with Cranberries and Pecans
• Easy Cabbage Salad or Quick Carrot Salad

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