Green Avocado Salad

Salads

Jan 22

Written By Ben McElroy

Why Make It?

Creamy avocado, crunchy croutons, bright lime, aromatic cilantro, and savory pecorino combine to make a salad template ready for the table.
The avocado dressing uses avocado as a thickener with no added fat. A truly guilt free salad.
Homemade croutons are so quick and easy that you will be letting your bread go stale in the pantry.

Keys to Success

There is not much worse than a warm salad that is meant to be served cold. If serving right away, place the dressing in the freezer for 30 minutes. Prep the ingredients and keep them in the refrigerator until you eat.
Salads need crunch. Romaine adds much needed structure and crunch to the salad. Ultra crispy freshly baked croutons are the cherry on top.
Don't skip the cilantro. A fine mince will evenly disturbed the herb flavor and take the salad to the next level. If you're not a cilantro fan, substitute it with another herb like mint, parsley, or scallions.

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Author Thoughts

This salad is all about layering flavors. It just happened to be that each main ingredient is green: romaine, spinach, avocado, lime and cilantro. The recipe is highly adaptable to whatever is in your pantry. If you have avocados give it a try. Check the substitution section below.

The dressing will last for a couple days in the fridge. Add a small splash of vinegar or lime juice if using after the first day. Foods tend to lose some of their brightness and acidity with storage.

Equipment

stick blender - peeler - sheet pan - large mixing bowl

Green Avocado Salad

Makes: 4 Servings | Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients

Salad

8 cups romaine [~4 heads]
4 cups spinach
1/4 bunch [8 g] cilantro
½ hass avocado
pecorino cheese [as wanted]
leftover chicken - try our Spice Fried Chicken [optional]

Avocado Dressing

½ hass avocado [ 60 g]
1 lime
½ cup [100g] champagne vinegar
¼ cup [90 g] agave
½ cup [100g] champagne vinegar
¾ tsp diamond crystal salt [2.5 grams - 4 three finger pinches]

Croutons

½ loaf [125 g] Stale Bread
1 tbsp olive oil
salt [to taste]
1 tsp garlic powder [optional]
1 tsp onion powder [optional]

Instructions

Dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients into a container and use a stick blender to combine until smooth. Use a blender if you do not have a stick blender. Place the dressing in the freezer for 30-45 minutes to chill. Use or move the refrigerator.
Croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Dice the bread into 1 in cubes. Add the bread to a sheet pan with the olive oil and toss to combine. Baked for 10 minutes. Check and toss. Bake for another 5-10 minutes and remove. The cook time on the croutons will depend on your bread, adjust accordingly. Finish with garlic powder, onion powder and salt if using.
Salad: Slice the romaine and add to a bowl. Add the spinach. Using a sharp knife, mince the cilantro and add to the bowl. Using a peeler, shave the pecorino and add half to the bowl. Using a spoon, scoop small chunks of avocado out and into a bowl. Lightly salt the avocado and add half to the salad bowl. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Assemble: Add the dressing and toss. Top with the remaining pecorino, avocado, croutons and chicken if using.

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Comments

Substitutions

Lime: Lemon would work great too. If you don't have either, increasing the vinegar amount will work in a pinch.

Cilantro: Almost any herb would work here. Mint, parsley, scallions would all be great. If you are not a cilantro fan, omit and add another herb.

Croutons: Stale tortilla chips, pita bread would be great alternatives. Toss with oil and bake in the oven like the croutons.

Vinegar: Both white wine vinegar, rice vinegar are good subs. Check the percent acidity on the bottle. If it's less than 5% you may need to slightly adjust the amount.

Pecorino: Really any cheese could work here in a pinch. Parmesan would be the best second option.

Anchovy: This recipe has a lot of savory elements that will work well with anchovy. Add it to the dressing if you are a fan.