Today’s avocado salad recipe combines some basic vegetables and fruits with a classic dressing to make a light, fresh, but satisfying side dish.
Is This Avocado Salad Healthy?
Containing fresh and nutritious mentioned ingredients, we believe that our avocado salad is relatively healthy.
In terms of nutrition content, each serving of avocado salad provides 197 calories. Plus, it contains lots of vital micronutrients such as vitamin A, C, B2, B6, potassium, magnesium, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
To combine more avocado into your meal rotation, check out our avocado chicken salad recipe for another straightforward and succulent salad idea.
Ingredients
Made from scratch and required easy-to-buy ingredients, our avocado salad recipe is more than simple:
- Avocado: We choose ripe avocado for the perfectly creamy texture. Avocado is a great source of healthy fat and fiber, it not only makes the salad healthy but also more fulfilling and satisfying.
- Cucumber: Thin-skin variety like English cucumber is always a great option since its crunchy texture adds a surprising contrast to the creaminess of avocado. Plus, cucumbers have a high content of water and are a powerhouse of antioxidants.
- Tomatoes: Tips for best tomatoes is to pick the ones ripes, red, and juicy. Coming with bite-size pieces, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are the most suitable for this recipe. This colorful vegetable is famous for its high profile of vitamin A and C.
- Red onions: Red onions have a sweeter and milder taste compared to other types. A small tip is slice onion then soak it in ice for a few minutes before adding it to salad. This way you can preserve its crunchiness while mitigating the sweet flavor aftertaste.
- Fresh herbs: The combination of cilantro and parsley works beautifully in this avocado salad recipe. It’s always fun to experiment with other herbs, dill, chives, or basil could be an alternative. However, note that the herbs shouldn’t overpower and steal the show from that rich avocado flavor.
Dressing
This recipe is all about using abundant fresh ingredients and a blend of seasonings to create a tasty summer salad. For the dressing, we want to go for something light and simple.
A classic dressing of lime juice, olive oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt is light in taste and gets the balance of tang, savoriness, and richness. It only takes a moment to bring all basic ingredients together and turn them into a delicious bowl of summer.
How to Cut Avocado for Salad
We cube the avocado so that it matches the shape and size of the cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Some people prefer slices in salad, but it’s entirely up to you. Avocado always tastes amazing whatever shape it comes in.
How to Keep Avocado from Turning Brown
Before getting to the solutions, we believe it’s also important to know why this creamy fruit turns brown in the first place. Avocados contain polyphenol oxidase — an enzyme that causes avocados to turn brown when exposed to oxygen.
Thus, the best way to prevent avocados from turning brown is to reduce their exposure to air by as much as possible. Here are some proven ways to keep your avocado looking fresh, clean, and ready to enhance any salad recipe:
- The plastic wrap method: If you have some avocado slices or pieces that need to be stored, carefully wrap them in a plastic wrapper or place them in a clean bag. By keeping the air away from the flesh, these kitchen tools help to keep your fruit fresh for up to several days.
- The onion method: Onions are not only a great add-in to your avocado salad but also an anti-browning ingredient. This pungent veggie contains sulfur, a compound that can slow down the oxidation process of browning. All you have to do is chop up some onion and place it on an airtight container with the avocado on top.
- The citrus method: Another way to stop your avocado from browning is to squeeze some lime or lemon juice on the sliced avocado. Citrus fruits naturally contain strong antioxidants which work well against the browning and spoilage of foods.
- The oil method: With the aim, again, of preventing oxygen from touching the avocado flesh, a good trick is to brush the exposed parts of the fruit with oil. Olive oil and vegetable oil both work well as barriers against the oxygen.
How Long Does It Last?
We recommend having this avocado salad shortly after making it since the avocado can start to break down easily. The salt from the dressing will also draw the liquid from the vegetables, making the cucumbers and tomatoes lose their crunchiness.
Speaking of storage, any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day. The avocado will turn slightly brown and the vegetables might become a little mushy.
To avoid this unpleasant situation, store the veggies and dressing separately and prepare the avocado when you are ready to have the salad.
More Avocado Salads You May Like
- Shrimp Avocado Salad Recipe
- Avocado Corn Salad Recipe
- Avocado Tuna Salad Recipe
- Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe
Avocado Salad Recipe
This avocado salad recipe features fresh summer fruits and vegetables covered in a light lemon dressing. A palatable and vitamin-packed side in 10 minutes!
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 10 mins
- COURSE Salad, Side Dish
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 197 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz avocados (cubed)
- 8 oz cucumbers (cubed)
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 oz red onions (sliced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
- 1/4 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp cilantro, 1/4 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp honey.
Place 12 oz avocados, 6 oz tomatoes, 1 oz onions, 8 oz cucumbers on a plate. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss to coat.
Serve.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorLizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- AlanThis avocado salad is so fresh and easy to make! Been making it every time I need something quick and healthy