Avocado Lovers, Rejoice! Here are 24 Game-Changing ways to enjoy your favorite fruit!
24 Amazing ways to enjoy avocados you never knew about!
Avocados are colorful, nutritious, and incredibly delicious. Their popularity is on the rise, yet many don’t realize just how flexible this subtropical fruit can be. While guacamole and avocado toast are common go-tos, they barely scratch the surface. Don’t get stuck in an avocado rut; explore the numerous exciting ways to enjoy this special ingredient. Whether you mash, dice, slice, blend, or halve them, avocados offer a delightful addition to any meal.
How to Choose a Ripe Avocado
To fully enjoy any of the recipes below, a ripe avocado is essential. Here’s how to select the perfect one:
- Consistent Dark Green Color: As avocados ripen, their skin changes from bright green to a darker shade. Once the peel is dark green, the avocado is ripe and ready to eat.
- Bumpy Skin: Underripe avocados have smoother skin. For ripe avocados, look for a textured peel.
- Gentle Give: Gently squeeze the avocado; it should be slightly soft but maintain some firmness.
Avocados continue to ripen off the vine. If you’re buying them a few days in advance, opt for underripe avocados that are firm to the touch with a brighter green peel.
24 Ways to Eat Avocado
Whether you choose to mash, slice, dice, blend, or halve them, there’s no shortage of delicious ways to incorporate avocados into your meals.
Mashed
Avocado mash is perhaps the most popular way to enjoy this nutritious fruit. Whether it’s spread on toast for a quick breakfast or combined with ingredients like onions, tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro for a flavorful guacamole, mashed avocado offers versatility and simplicity. All you need is a bowl, a fork, and a ripe avocado to create an array of delicious dishes, perfect as spreads for burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and more.
Customizing Your Avocado Mash
To keep the avocado from turning brown, add a touch of lemon juice or vinegar. From there, you can personalize your mash with your favorite seasonings and spices. Consider adding:
Cayenne Pepper: For a spicy kick.
Ground Cumin and Coriander: For a warm, earthy flavor.
Everything Bagel Seasoning: For a unique and savory twist.
Creative Ways to Enjoy Mashed Avocado
- Egg Salad-Inspired Avocado Toast: Enhance your avocado toast by mashing avocados with hard-boiled eggs, creating a protein-packed spread perfect for breakfast or a snack.
- Sandwiches: Use mashed avocado as a creamy layer in your sandwich, providing a healthier alternative to mayonnaise with added flavor and nutrients.
- Mexican-Inspired Dishes: Mashed avocado complements a variety of Mexican dishes. Add a dollop to tacos, or serve it alongside quesadillas and sizzling fajitas for an authentic touch.
Diced
Diced or chopped avocados are perfect for garnishing plates of food, adding both vibrant color and rich flavor. Here are several delightful ways to incorporate diced avocado into your meals:
Top 7 Ways to Eat Diced Avocado
- On Tacos: Sprinkle diced avocado chunks on top of your tacos to introduce a delightful texture contrast.
- With Scrambled Eggs: Serve diced avocado alongside scrambled eggs for a creamy complement to your breakfast.
- As a Garnish for Chili or Soup: Use diced avocado to garnish bowls of chili or soup, enhancing both presentation and taste.
- In Summer Produce Dishes: Pair diced avocado with seasonal produce, such as sweet corn and tomatoes, to create a refreshing and cooling side dish.
- In Salads: Add diced avocado to virtually any salad. Its rich, creamy texture provides a delightful contrast to crisp greens.
- With Quick-Pickled Onions: Mix diced avocado with quick-pickled onions to achieve a guacamole-like flavor. This relish can be spooned over spicy cayenne-grilled chicken for an extra burst of taste.
- Avocado’s rich, buttery, and mild flavor makes it a versatile ingredient that pairs wonderfully with a wide range of foods, particularly sweet fruits like mango. By combining these two fruits, you can create a delightful, summery salsa that adds a burst of freshness to any meal.
Sliced
When you want your avocado to make a statement, cutting the halves into slices is a great way to do so. After pitting and peeling the avocado, you have the option to slice it either lengthwise or crosswise—whichever you prefer.
Creative Ways to Enjoy Sliced Avocado
- Garnish Egg Dishes:
Use avocado slices to garnish egg-based dishes such as huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, and shakshuka. The creamy texture of the avocado complements the savory flavors of these dishes beautifully.
- Enhance Salads:
Avocado slices can take center stage in salads. For an eye-catching and delicious combination, pair them with similarly shaped ingredients like supremed citrus. The rich, fatty texture of the avocado harmonizes well with the bright acidity of citrus fruits, creating a balanced and flavorful salad.
- Pair with Acidic Ingredients:
Combine avocado slices with other ingredients that have a hint of acidity, such as ripe summer tomatoes. To maintain a uniform appearance, cut the tomatoes into bite-size wedges. Alternatively, you can experiment with shapes by slicing the tomatoes into rounds. The contrast in shapes adds visual interest to your dish.
- Everyday Meals:
Even if you’re not aiming to showcase your knife skills, sliced avocado is still delightful to eat. Add a few slices to your tacos, an everyday omelet, or vegetable-packed sushi rolls for an added layer of flavor and texture.
Blended
Blended avocado is one of the most versatile ways to enjoy this fruit, offering endless possibilities in both sweet and savory dishes.
Ways to Eat Blended Avocado
- Smoothies: Add avocado to your smoothies for a creamy, luscious texture that pairs well with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Baked Goods: Incorporate avocado into bakery-worthy chocolate muffins for a surprising and delicious twist that adds moisture and richness.
- Vegan Ice Cream: Use blended avocado as the base for a divine vegan ice cream, offering a creamy texture without the need for dairy.
- Chilled Gazpacho: Blend ripe avocado into a refreshing chilled gazpacho, complete with hydrating cucumbers and robust flavors like jalapeños, scallions, and cilantro.
- Deviled Eggs: Create a unique twist on deviled eggs by blending avocados with egg yolks and mayonnaise for a creamy, flavorful filling.
- Salad Dressings, Dips, and Sauces: Enhance the smooth, luscious texture of your salad dressings, dips, and creamy sauces by incorporating avocado. For instance:
Blend it into a green goddess dressing for a hearty lunch salad.
Serve it as a dip alongside crackers and crudités.
Dollop it over soups and chili for added creaminess and flavor. - Humus Alternative: Use blended avocado as a substitute for tahini in hummus for a lighter, equally delicious variation.
The versatility of blended avocado makes it a valuable addition to countless recipes, enriching both flavor and texture while providing numerous health benefits.
Halved
If you’re ready to elevate the avocado to a standalone meal, consider serving the halves without any slicing, dicing, mashing, or blending! Here’s how you can enjoy halved avocados in delicious and creative ways:
Ways to Eat Halved Avocado
- Eat it Straight
A ripe avocado hardly needs any embellishment to shine. Simply add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. You can scoop the avocado straight from its skin with a spoon—no peeling required.
- Use it as a Salad Base
Instead of mixing avocado into your salad, use halved avocados as a unique base to hold your salad ingredients. Avocado boats are perfect for chunkier salads that are rich in chopped vegetables rather than lettuce. Consider combining sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and scallions for a colorful, nutritious filling. This method not only enhances the visual appeal but also turns the avocado into an edible bowl, minimizing waste and maximizing flavor.
Source: marthastewart