Here's a recipe for a simple avocado salad that is really, mostly just avocado! Naturally, the success of this dish depends on having really good flavor and texture in your avocado. Use avocados that are ripening, but still firm enough to stay as chunks in the salad. If it's too soft, you get a paste and it's hard to call it a salad anymore.
I used this large, dark purple avocado from a tree that is just coming in. You'll need about 1 1/2 lbs. of avocado fruit. I like to peel it instead of scooping it out for a cleaner look, but whatever lets you keep it in chunks will work. Cut it into pieces, smaller is better so there's more surface area, but not so small it mushes. Sprinkle with the Hawaiian sea salt (ours comes from Salt Pond on the west side of the island) and gently fold it in.
Give the salt a while (like 15 minutes or more) to melt, then add the lime juice, fresh chilies and 3/4 of the green onion. Mix it in (minimally) and let that sit for a while. It's really convenient to let it sit while you prepare other food.
Now fold in the macadamia nut butter and tomatoes and spoon the salad into a serving bowl. It's pretty dense...maybe it would be best to serve it over a bed of massaged kale, water cress, or sliced radicchio. Top with the remaining green onion.
Ingredients
- 1 large (1.5 lbs) avocado: firm, yet ripe
- 1/2 tsp. coarse Hawaiian sea salt, the alaea (pink) kind if you can
- juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 tbs.)
- fresh chile to taste, chopped: I'd suggest using a medium spicy chile like jalapeño or aji cristal
- 1 small green onion, thin thin slice or chopped
- 3 tbs. macadamia nut butter raw or toasted (yes, of course it should be Tiny Isle!)
- 1/4 c. diced fresh tomato: quartered cherries or grape tomatoes work well