Avocados are possibly my favorite fruit; not just for their creamy texture and almost-buttery taste, but also for fond childhood memories that I associate them with! More on this after the recipe😊. More rationally, I’d recommend avocados for the nutritional benefits. They’re such a great source of oleic acid, (the same good kind of fat that’s found in olive oil), and also have a really low sugar content. Surprisingly, upwards of 70% of an avocado is water, making it a great option for days when you want to reduce your sugar & carb intake!
The healthiest way to enjoy an avocado is probably in a salad; here’s the recipe for my Mexican inspired version with peppers, cilantro and an easy lime dressing. Its one of my go-to quick fix weekday lunches, so I top it with a jammy egg to make sure I’m also getting my protein fix from the meal. Feel free to skip the egg!
Avocado Salad with Jammy Eggs
Equipment
- No special equipment needed!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cups Lettuce [torn into bite size pieces]
- 1 small Cucumber [slit in half, de-seeded and sliced 1/4th inch thick]
- 1 small Tomato [cut into bite sized pieces]
- 1 cup chopped mixed Bell Peppers [cut into bite sized pieces]
- 2 Spring Onions / Green Onions [sliced fine]
- ⅓ cup Cilantro / Coriander Leaves [roughly chopped]
- 1 Avocado [stone removed, peeled and chopped into chunks]
- ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds
- 1 – 2 Eggs [Optional]
For the Dressing:
- 8 tsps Olive Oil
- 4 tsps Lime Juice
- Salt [to taste]
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ tsp Chopped Green Onion [finely chopped]
Instructions
- Chop / slice the different ingredients as indicated in the instructions table
- Combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomato, peppers, spring onions and cilantro in a large bowl and toss together (or just mix gently with a spatula). Drizzle a tsp of olive oil into the bowl and toss again. Coating the veggies with a little olive oil will stop them from releasing too much moisture, and prevent a soggy salad1.
- To make the dressing: Add the olive oil and lime juice in a small bowl or jar. Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
- Whisk until it emulsifies.
- You can also add a half tsp of chopped green onion to the dressing for added flavour.
- Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss.
- Add the avocado chunks after you’ve mixed the dressing with the rest of the veggies. Stir gently with a tea spoon or silicone spatula2.
- To make jammy eggs: Bring water to a boil; lower the heat to medium and add the eggs. Let the eggs cook for 5 minutes; then remove and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. You should be able to peel and slice them after about 7 – 8 mins of cooling.
- Place the jammy eggs atop the salad, and lastly, top with sunflower seeds for extra crunch!
Recipe notes:
1You can put the chopped veggies (coated with olive oil) away into the refrigerator at this point. Allow it to chill for an hour or longer, if you are serving it later on in the day. Add the dressing and avocado chunks right before serving. Also, cut the avocado only just before you need to add it to the salad and serve; this will prevent the avocado oxidizing and turning brown.
2Add the avocado after tossing the other veggies in the dressing because it’s quite soft! Vigorous mixing can lead to it being smashed into a paste.
Here’s a quick play by play of the whole recipe:
The Childhood association with Avocados! 🥑🥑🥑
My grandfather planted an Avocado tree in his garden nearly fifty years ago; it’s still standing today! He’d water it around 4:00 PM every afternoon, and would tell me that growing avocados takes a lot of time and care – these trees don’t bear any fruit for the first 9 -10 years of their lives. As a kid, I loved climbing this tree all year round, but particularly during May through August (Avocado picking season). It was also the route to my favorite childhood reading spot! I’d climb the avocado tree to get to a chajja, and then spend hours flipping pages in the tree’s shade. [Chajja = a concrete eave / sun-shade, usually built above a door or window]
Let me know in the comments below if you have a question, or if you tried this recipe and have some feedback.🖖
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Oh my God loved reading on the beautiful memories you shared about the Avocado tree ,planted by your Grandfather.Nostalgic.
The recipe and the tips too are super helpful 👍