Description
A refreshing and vibrant Avocado Salad featuring ripe avocados, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a zesty homemade lime and avocado oil dressing, perfect for a light and healthy meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- ½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, diced*
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 firm-ripe avocados, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ English cucumber, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2½ teaspoons honey
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh lime juice, avocado oil, honey, grated garlic, sea salt, ground cumin, and several grinds of black pepper until the ingredients are well combined and the dressing is smooth.
- Reserve garnish ingredients: Set aside a small portion of the diced jalapeño, red onion, and chopped cilantro to use as a garnish later.
- Assemble base salad: In a medium bowl, add the diced avocado first. Evenly arrange the cucumber pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, and the remaining diced jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro over the avocado carefully to avoid mashing the avocado.
- Add dressing and mix gently: Drizzle most of the prepared dressing evenly over the salad ingredients. Gently stir the salad to combine, taking care not to overmix, so the avocado pieces remain intact and do not coat the other ingredients like guacamole.
- Finish with garnish and seasoning: Top the salad with the reserved jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro, and drizzle a little more dressing over the top. Adjust seasoning with additional dressing or pinches of flaky sea salt as desired.
- Serve immediately: Enjoy this salad fresh to maintain the vibrant flavors and crisp textures.
Notes
- Use ripe but firm avocados to prevent the salad from becoming mushy.
- You can adjust the amount of jalapeño based on your preferred spice level.
- The salad is best served immediately; the avocado will brown if left sitting too long.
- For a vegan version, substitute honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Flaky sea salt adds a pleasant crunch and enhances flavor but is optional.
