Summer Avocado Salad
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This avocado salad is one of those simple summer recipes you’ll find yourself making on repeat. It’s fresh, colorful, and the perfect side for everything from grilled chicken to burgers.
A good salad has lots of contrasting colors, textures, and flavors, and this avocado salad has it all: buttery avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp bell peppers and cucumbers, fresh herbs, and a tangy vinaigrette.
For best results, let the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers marinate in the dressing for at least 20 minutes before adding the avocados. This resting time draws the juices from the vegetables into the vinaigrette, giving it wonderful fresh flavor. Fold in the avocados gently, as they’ll break down the more you toss them. Serve the salad as a light lunch or alongside grilled meats for supper.
“Made this over the weekend and everyone devoured it! So simple yet so delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Salad
Be sure to choose perfectly ripe avocados for the salad. A ripe avocado should yield to pressure when gently squeezed with the palm of your hand. If your avocados ripen before you’re ready to use them, pop them in the fridge; this will significantly slow down the ripening process. If you need to speed up the ripening process, place the avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana and fold the bag shut. Let the fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit!) sit together overnight on the counter and the avocados will ripen quickly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, water, salt, pepper, sugar, and garlic.
Step 2: Toss in the veggies. Add the cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, basil, and chives. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 hours ahead).
Step 3: Add the avocado. Right before serving, gently stir the avocados into the salad, being careful not to mash them.
Step 4: Serve. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, if necessary, then serve and enjou.
More Summer Salads You’ll Love
Summer Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil, or a combination of basil and mint
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- 2 large avocados, halved, pitted, and diced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, water, salt, black pepper, sugar, and garlic. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, and chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 hours). Right before serving, gently fold in the avocados, being careful not to mash them. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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So awesome and healthy! Even my husband loved it and he’s a picky eater. The only recommendation is to add spinach or romaine lettuce as the recipe makes a lot of delicious dressing.
Jenn,
Like all of your recipes, this was AMAZING. Perfect! I followed exactly according to the recipe. I love all of your recipes. Keep em coming!
Pam
Made this salad over the weekend and had to make it again the next day because it’s so delicious! Absolutely wonderful!
This salad had become my go-to this summer. All my favorite veggies are even better mixed together!
Lovely salad even the next day. Love lots of avocado. Thanks for a great suggestion when I’m running out of ideas. You never fail to surprise snd delight. You take the guesswork out of meal planning!
This salad is absolutely delicious! It’s light, fresh, flavorful and filling. I love this so much, and can’t wait to enjoy it with our home grown tomatoes! YUM.
P.P.S.
I opted to include fresh mint as suggested. Wonderfully bright in flavor!
Pam
I prepared this salad over the 4th of July weekend and it was a big hit. It is very refreshing to have with your summer barbecue.
A nice change from green salads and very refreshing! Thank you!
Pam
PS.
Wondering where your son is heading to college next year?
Haven’t tried this yet, but this looks like it would be delicious with shrimp added to it or even salmon or chicken. Jenn, have you tried that?
Hi Laurie, I haven’t tried it, but I agree 100% that it would be delish with either.