20 Recipes That Let Avocado Shine

Spicy guacamole and avocado toast are wonderful, but this rich and creamy fruit is a versatile ingredient in the kitchen.

I've lived in California nearly a year, and one of the best things about it is affordable avocados. They've become a fixture of my diet, and I use them in all sorts of dishes. Creamy and buttery, there are few things that avocado doesn't make better. Often, I'll use it as a garnish, but avocado can also be a star. From an avocado-stuffed grilled cheese to avocado fries, tacos, shakes, smoothies, and ice cream, we've rounded up 20 of our favorite recipes to show you just how versatile the fruit can be.

9 No-Cook Twists on Avocado Toast

Avocado is good for a lot more than smearing on toast—though we developed nine variations that take this iconic dish in new directions. Think marrying creamy, rich avocado with mango, ricotta, or slivers of citrus and sliced fennel.

List Link: 9 No-Cook Twists on Avocado Toast

The Best Basic Guacamole

We can't talk avocado recipes without mentioning guacamole. Our basic version is made with yellow onion, serrano chili, cilantro, lime juice, and salt, which we grind into a paste with a mortar and pestle for deeper flavor. Mix the paste with mashed avocado, stir in some more cilantro and lime juice, and serve immediately.

List Link: Perfect Guacamole

Guacamole With Roasted Tomatillos

Purists might think that even our basic guacamole is pushing the limits of the dish, but we love mixing in other ingredients. This variation combines guacamole with salsa verde—you could use store-bought salsa, but it's super easy to make it from scratch with tomatillos, garlic, onion, and serrano.

List Link: Guacamole With Roasted Tomatillos

Grilled Cheese With Tomato, Bacon, and Avocado

Let's avoid the argument about what constitutes a grilled cheese—whatever you call it, this sandwich is delicious. Bacon and tomato are standard fillings for a grilled cheese, but the avocado might give some of you pause. If you can cast aside your preconceptions about warm avocado, though, you'll realize that its creamy texture is perfectly at home in a grilled cheese.

List Link: Grilled Cheese With Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado

Eggs Baked in Avocado

A breakfast bowl, where the "bowl" is just an avocado filled with incredible breakfast ingredients. The texture of the runny yolk, surrounded by tender white and creamy avocado is truly delightful. A garnish of whole-grain mustard and snipped chive plays off the richness of the avocado with a little savory acidity.

List Link: Eggs Baked in Avocado

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Ripe avocados serve as a vegan-friendly base for this ultra-creamy and velvety chocolate mousse.

List Link: Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Vegan "B.L.A.T."s: Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, and Crispy Smoked Mushroom Sandwiches

We've gone on record stating that you shouldn't mess with a BLT, but once you've replaced the pork bacon with our smoked mushroom bacon then adding avocado to the mix doesn't sound so crazy. We keep this sandwich 100% vegan by using vegan mayo—either our homemade tofu-based version or a store-bought variety will work.

List Link: Vegan "B.L.A.T."s: Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, and Crispy Smoked Mushroom Sandwiches

Crispy and Flavorful Avocado Fries

Crunchy with golden brown panko on the outside and buttery within, avocado fries are a low-effort, high-reward snack that come together in less than 30 minutes.

List Link: Crispy and Flavorful Avocado Fries

Black Bean, Corn, and Red Pepper Salad with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

This summery black bean salad is perfect for picnics—it's served at room temperature and actually gets better if you make it ahead of time and let it sit for a few hours. Along with the beans we make the salad with corn, red bell pepper, garlic, shallots, and cilantro and dress it with olive oil and lime juice.

List Link: Black Bean, Corn, and Red Pepper Salad With Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Guasacaca (Avocado Salsa)

Venezuelan cuisine's answer to guacamole has a brighter, more vegetal flavor thanks to the addition of green bell pepper, jalapeño, parsley, cilantro, and large splashes of vinegar and olive oil. The result is a much better condiment for rich foods like grilled meats, tequeños, cheesy arepas, and crispy potatoes.

List Link: Guasacaca (Avocado Salsa)

Open-Faced Ka'ak Sandwich With Avocado, Za’atar, and Halloumi

Freshly baked ka'ak serves as the basis for these rich open-faced sandwiches. The bread is baked with a sprinkling of za'atar, turmeric, nigella seeds, and extra sesame seeds. A simple avocado-based spread is topped with thick, griddled slices of halloumi.

List Link: Open-Faced Ka'ak Sandwich With Avocado, Za’atar, and Halloumi

Chicken Salad With Avocado, Corn, and Miso Dressing

If you want a change from classic mayo-based chicken salad, try this version made with a miso-mirin dressing. We fold in sweet corn and cubes of avocado and season the salad with Japanese dried mustard and shichimi togarashi. Cooking the chicken sous vide ensures that it comes out extra juicy.

List Link: Chicken Salad With Avocado, Corn, and Miso Dressing

Tofu and Kale Salad With Avocado, Grapefruit, and Miso-Tahini Dressing

This light yet satisfying salad is made with tofu, avocado, and grapefruit; seasoned with za'atar; and dressed with a mixture of grapefruit juice, tahini, miso paste, lemon juice, and honey. Slowly cooking the tofu in olive oil gives it a super crispy texture that pairs well with the creamy avocado.

List Link: Tofu and Kale Salad With Avocado, Grapefruit, and Miso-Tahini Dressing

Cold Soba Noodles With Kale, Avocado, and Miso-Sesame Dressing

We often tenderize raw kale for salads by massaging it with olive oil, but here we take a different approach and and simply chop it very finely to quickly tenderize it. Then we toss the chopped kale with a sesame-miso dressing and top it with soba noodles, wakame, bean sprouts, and avocado.

List Link: Cold Soba Noodles With Kale, Avocado, and Miso-Sesame Dressing

Fruity Black Rice Salad With Cilantro, Avocado, and Pepitas in Chile-Orange Vinaigrette

Grain bowls are still relatively trendy, but we've been cooking grains since before they were quite so hip. Case in point: this black rice salad made with mango, orange, avocado, red onion, and pepitas. Be careful not to overcook the rice—you want it to be slightly al dente so it can stand up to the chile- and cumin-spiked orange vinaigrette.

List Link: Fruity Black Rice Salad With Cilantro, Avocado, and Pepitas in Chile-Orange Vinaigrette

Fried-Avocado Tacos With Chipotle Cream, Cabbage, and Pickled Red Onions

These vegetarian tacos are stuffed with beer-battered avocado slices that are creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. We serve them with cabbage (the soft avocados need the crunch), salsa verde, pickled red onions, and a creamy chipotle sauce. Make sure to have your tortillas warmed and your toppings prepped, because the avocados are best eaten as soon as possible after they come out of the oil.

List Link: Fried-Avocado Tacos With Chipotle Cream, Cabbage, and Pickled Red Onions

Vegan Avocado Lime Ice Cream

Thanks to their high fat content, avocados can be made into wonderfully creamy vegan ice cream. Unlike ice cream made with more neutral bases, this will taste distinctly like avocado. That's not a bad thing, but it means you should skip the chocolate or vanilla and flavor the ice cream with a little bit of lime.

List Link: Vegan Avocado Lime Ice Cream

Hamachi Poke With Cucumber and Avocado

This hamachi poke is a wonderful balancing act of flavors and textures. On its own, the fish is quite rich, so the additions of diced cucumber chilies, and avocado bring needed brightness. Thin strips of lemon zest and a splash of good extra-virgin olive oil are the finishing touch.

List Link: Get the recipe for Hamachi Poke With Cucumber and Avocado

Jus Alpukat (Indonesian Avocado-Coffee Shake)

Equally perfect as your morning beverage or after-dinner dessert, this rich and creamy avocado shake is an absolutely delicious way to get your daily dose of caffeine.

List Link: Jus Alpukat (Indonesian Avocado-Coffee Shake)

Avocado Smoothie

This ultra-creamy avocado smoothie is the perfect way to start the day. The rich, creamy avocado is tempered by sweet, tangy frozen mango chunks, orange juice, and a ripe banana.

List Link: Avocado Smoothie

April 2019

Read the original article on Serious Eats.