Avocado Appetizer

Name: Avocado Salad Appetizer with Tomatoes and Pickled Onion
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American cuisine
Ingredients: Large ripe avocados 2; Romaine lettuce 1 bunch; Cilantro 1/2 bunch; Cherry or cocktail tomatoes 8-12; Red onion 1; Olive oil 50 ml; Wine vinegar 1-2 tbsp for the onion and 1/2 tsp for the dressing; Brown sugar 1/2 tsp (2 g); Salt, black pepper, dried oregano to taste

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15 mins

When you need to whip up a nourishing, healthy dish that fits all kinds of diets and healthy eating, the best idea is an avocado appetizer with greens, vegetables and an olive oil dressing. We often buy avocados in season. They’re usually a little underripe, but after a few days on the shelf they’re perfect for salads and sauces.

I first saw a Persea americana tree in its homeland, the Americas. It was big and evergreen, and hummingbirds had built nests in its branches no bigger than a walnut shell. The fruit wasn’t in season, so we just admired the tree and the birds. Long ago, the fruit was called the alligator pear – surely because of its green color and bumpy skin.

The best-known avocado appetizer is probably guacamole, a thick Mexican dip made from the flesh of ripe avocados. The main additions are lime juice, salt, often garlic, olive oil, chili, herbs and so on. An avocado appetizer is a perfect example of vegetarian cooking and can also be served as a side dish. Sliced ripe avocado often ends up in other salads too, even when the recipe doesn’t call for it.

Ripe avocado pairs well with vegetables and greens, and it often goes into tasty salads with fruit. Salads and appetizers with salmon, caviar or brined cheeses turn out great too – there, avocado plays a supporting role. Because of its neutral taste and smell, avocado lets the flavor and aroma of the main ingredient come through.

Fully ripe avocados are fairly rare in stores. If you buy an underripe one and leave it on the shelf, after a while the flesh becomes creamy and ready to use. Besides green avocados, you’ll also find brown and black ones. Any of them will do – the flesh is practically the same.

In the US, California salad is very popular, and ripe avocado is its main ingredient. It also has onion, tomatoes, greens and an olive oil dressing. The ingredients of California avocado salad change quite freely, and the salad always turns out well. It’s often served as a side dish or to garnish cold meat platters.

More with tomatoes

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Fried Tomatoes with Herbs and Garlic

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Lecho with Eggplant

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Ingredients

2 servings

Large ripe avocados 2
Romaine lettuce 1 bunch
Cilantro 1/2 bunch
Cherry or cocktail tomatoes 8-12
Red onion 1
Olive oil 50 ml
Wine vinegar 1-2 tbsp for the onion and 1/2 tsp for the dressing
Brown sugar 1/2 tsp (2 g)
Salt, black pepper, dried oregano to taste

Step-by-step recipe

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Preparing the vegetables

For a tasty avocado appetizer, ripeness is crucial. Underripe avocados will ruin the salad – better let them ripen. Keep in mind that the flesh is high in calories and fat, although healthy fat. Small tomatoes are best. If you can’t find them, seed large tomatoes and cut them into big chunks.
Prepare the greens: soak the lettuce leaves in cold water ahead of time, then dry them.
Pickle the red onion. An elongated onion is best – it’s easier to slice. Peel the onion, slice it into very thin rings and separate the rings with your fingers; you can skip the center. Put the onion rings into a small bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of brown sugar (2 g) and toss. Add 1-2 tbsp of wine vinegar and let the onion pickle for 10 minutes.
Season the tomatoes. Cut small tomatoes in half, larger ones into quarters. Put them in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and toss gently. Leave them for a bit while the onion pickles.

Dressing

Make the salad dressing. Pick the leaves off the cilantro sprigs and chop them. In a cup, mix the remaining olive oil and 1/2 tsp of wine vinegar, then add the chopped cilantro. Blend everything with an immersion blender into a sauce – it will emulsify at the same time.
If you like, use balsamic vinegar or lemon or lime juice instead – the avocado appetizer will be a little different, but just as tasty.

Assembling the appetizer

You can swap the romaine for other greens – butter lettuce or frisée will work. Ideally, they shouldn’t be bitter.
Arrange the lettuce and avocado. Tear the washed and dried lettuce into large pieces and arrange them on a plate. Cut the ripe avocado in half and remove the pit. Peel off the tough skin, trying not to damage the flesh. Slice the flesh and lay it on the lettuce.
Dress the salad and add the tomatoes and onion. Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce and avocado right away: avocado oxidizes quickly in the air and turns brown, and the dressing helps prevent that. Alternatively, you can drizzle the avocado with lemon or lime juice. Add the tomatoes and red onion rings to the plate, lightly squeezing the onion out of the marinade. I recommend finishing with a pinch of dried oregano or a little pepper to taste.

Serving

Serve the avocado appetizer at room temperature, no chilling needed. It tastes especially good with ripe tomatoes picked straight off the vine right before cooking. The appetizer is delicious and makes a great side for cured or smoked meats.

Calories and macros

570 kcal

Serving ≈ 420 g

Protein6 g5% of kcal
Fat52 g87% of kcal
Carbs12 g9% of kcal

100 g136 kcalProtein 1.5 gFat 12.5 gCarbs 2.8 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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