Raise your hand if you love avocados! Well, is everyone’s hand raised? Besides my picky-eating husband, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love the creamy, delicious flavor of avocados. Between my young son and I, we go through at least 4-5 a week.
Ready for a salad that really highlights them? Then you’ve gotta try this Mexican-inspired Avocado Salad. I had never heard of avocado salad before, until I attended my cousin’s wedding a few years ago in Sedona. Besides the magic of being in the middle of nowhere, underneath a canopy of stars and trees, none of us could stop talking about the avocado salad that was served for dinner.
It was simple yet mind-blowing at the same time. After asking the chef for the secret recipe, I learned that it was as and easy as it was presented to be: fresh avocado, thinly sliced red onion, a light sprinkling of fresh cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. That’s it!
In the years since, I’ve been making this salad at least a few times a month during the summer. My recipe has evolved to include sliced cucumber and creamy cotija cilantro dressing in place of the olive oil. I love the additional tang from the cotija cheese as it pairs beautifully with crunchy cucumbers and melt-in-your-mouth avocados.
While I’ve been known to eat a big bowl of this for dinner, it’s the perfect side dish for anything that comes off the grill this summer. Since it’s no-cook and ready in just minutes, it’s also great for company or large gatherings when you want to serve something fresh but not spend all afternoon in the kitchen. Slice the cucumbers and red onion ahead of time, then toss everything together just before serving.