Guacamole Recipe: Avocado, Lime, Peppers and Cilantro
Guacamole is a sauce, or rather a dip, made from avocados. The most Mexican of dishes, though no longer only Mexican. I've never been to Mexico, but in San Francisco's Mexican quarter I got to taste an amazing snack: corn chips with guacamole.
A Mexican eatery, neat and quiet, with a big choice of Mexican dishes. I had no idea what to order, since I knew nothing but chili. We ordered a burrito, a Mexican dish of a tortilla wrapped around a filling of beans, avocado, cheese, meat, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Corn chips (nachos). Mexican Corona Extra beer with a wedge of lime. And, of course, sauces: salsa and guacamole.
It's the sauces that give the food its special character. Salsa is hot, even fiery, but exceptionally tasty. Guacamole has the delicate taste of avocado, lime and a light heat. Nachos with avocado dip are a perfect match for cold beer, and probably for many dishes in general, even tacos.
The history of the sauce goes back centuries. The Aztecs made a similar dish, and there is evidence of it. We will surely never know the Aztec recipe, unless yet another clever mind deciphers some ancient inscription on the Mexican pyramids. There is no single recipe: different regions make it differently, but the base of avocado, lime and salt is the same everywhere.
The word itself comes from the Aztecs. Wikipedia says the word guacamole comes from Mexican Spanish, from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word ahuacamolli (ahuacatl = “avocado” + molli = “sauce”). Modern recipes differ in proportions and add-ins and, to some extent, reflect the region they come from.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Avocados 2
- Lime 1
- Salt to taste
- Bell pepper 1
- Chili pepper 1
- Olive oil 1 tbsp
- Cilantro 5-6 sprigs
Step-by-step recipe
- In this dip, what matters is avocado, lime and salt. Everything else is optional add-ins said to improve the taste; they vary a lot depending on the region and your mood.
- Peel the green skin off the avocados. It comes off very easily, like the shell of a hard-boiled egg. Cut them in half and remove the huge pit. You can plant it in a flower pot and grow a lovely tree at home, though without fruit. I had one growing until we started forgetting to water it.
- Cut the avocado flesh with a knife (ceramic is best), drizzle it with lime juice, about a tablespoon, as quickly as possible, and immediately mash the flesh with a fork. Without lime juice the avocado will oxidize and turn brown. Besides adding great flavor and aroma, lime also acts as an antioxidant.
- Which extra ingredients to add is up to you. I like the dip mildly spicy, with peppers and cilantro.
- Seed and stem a smallish bell pepper, green, red or any color at all. Chop the flesh very finely with a knife. You could chop the pepper in a blender, but take care not to turn it into mush, since it releases liquid as it's chopped. What sets my dip apart from others is exactly these clearly visible, not too small pieces of pepper.
- Seed and stem one chili pod, or two, or half, to your taste. Original Mexican recipes that use chili call for jalapeño. Here it's still quite exotic, so use whatever you have.
- You can add garlic, but only if you like it and to taste. The garlic shouldn't stand out; 1 clove is enough. Put the chili pepper, garlic and cilantro leaves in a blender. Add a pinch of salt and blend. It's best if you can still feel pieces of the vegetables.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the blended vegetables and stir.
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix the avocado, chopped bell pepper and blended vegetables. Recipes very often add tomatoes (red or green), physalis, onion and even feijoa. All these additions make the dip resemble various salsas: salsa verde, salsa roja, pico de gallo. The principle of avocado, lime and salt gets somewhat lost. It's better if all the other components stay in the minority and taste almost neutral, except for the chili, of course.
- Add more salt and lime juice to taste. If the guacamole turns out too thick, you can add a little boiled water. The texture should be something between a salad and ketchup.
- The dip goes great with meat, fish or salad; take your pick. It's exceptionally good with corn chips (nachos) and cold beer. And, what can I say, with plain toasted cornbread it's a super snack.
| Serves: | 2 servings |
| Calories: | 185 |
| Prep: | 5 mins |
| Cook: | 10 mins |
| Total: | 15 mins |
| Category: | Snacks and Sauces |
| Cuisine: | Mexican cuisine |
| Rating: |
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4.7
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