This Avocado Salad is one of my go-to quick salad recipes. It's light, creamy and fresh, ready in 15 minutes and tastes so good with everything!
If you love avocados as much as I do, I'm sure you're going to devour this Avocado Salad in seconds! I always have them on my weekly shopping list, whether it's to add to salads, use as a spread on sandwiches and even with eggs. So if I'm ever in need of a quick side salad to go with dinner, this is my go-to as it tastes great with literally everything!
It's made with only a handful of ingredients that I always have in my fridge….avocados, cucumbers, red onion and fresh herbs. The hardest part is waiting for the avocados to be ripe enough 😏. I also like to quickly pickle the red onions while prepping the other ingredients which mellows their flavor and gives a subtle tang to them. I love it with salmon bites, grilled proteins and cauliflower steaks.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Fresh & Delicious: With creamy avocado, crisp cucumber and bright fresh herbs
- Quick & Easy: Using simple ingredients and ready in 15 minutes
- Versatile: Use as a side dish, a light lunch or as a taco topping
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Avocados are the star of the salad and need to be ripe, that way they will be creamy and balance out the other crisp veggies
- Cucumbers, I always use Persian or Lebanese cucumbers as they provide the best crunch, but an English cucumber or regular cucumber also works well
- Red onion adds that extra layer of goodness as its quickly pickled whilst preparing other ingredients
- Red wine vinegar is used to pickle the red onion, softening its bite while adding a bright tangy flavor and beautiful pink color
- Fresh herbs of cilantro or parsley add freshness and color, a mix of both would be great too
- Dressing is really simple, being extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt and pepper. Fresh lime juice would also be a great substitute too
- Jalapeño (optional), gives the salad a little heat if you like spice otherwise a pinch of red chilli flakes will also do the trick. If serving with tacos, I love adding a little spicy kick
How to make Avocado Salad
With just a handful of fresh ingredients and a simple dressing, this Avocado Salad is ready in no time. Follow my easy steps below (note quantities are listed in the recipe card below)
Step 1: Thinly slice the red onion
Step 2: Add onion to a large salad bowl, pour over red wine vinegar, add a pinch of salt and stir. Let them pickle while you prepare the remaining ingredients
Step 3: Peel strips from the cucumber skin, halve it lengthways, then thinly slice into half circles
Step 4: Halve the avocados, cut diagonal slits in both directions without piercing the skin, then scoop out the cubes with a spoon
Step 5: Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small jar or bowl
Step 6: Drain and discard the vinegar, leaving the pickled onions in the bowl
Step 7: Add the cucumber, fresh herbs, and jalapeño (if using). Pour over half the dressing and toss to coat
Step 8: To finish, add the avocado and remaining dressing. Gently stir and place in the fridge for 5 minutes and give it one final toss. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Use ripe avocados that are soft but still slightly firm and will hold their shape when diced
- Stir through half of the dressing to the salad before adding the avocado, this way they don't become mushy and will stay intact as the salad wont be overmixed
- Allow the salad to sit in the fridge for 5 minutes before serving for the flavors to develop
- Quickly pickling the onions while prepping the remaining ingredients gives them a lovely flavor, color and takes away the harsh onion flavor
Storage Instructions
- This avocado is best enjoyed fresh the same day, but you can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day
- Freezing is not recommended for this recipe
Serving Suggestions
This avocado salad pretty much goes with everything! It really shines as a side dish paired with your favorite protein, like grilled meats, baked salmon or crispy tofu. It also makes a delicious topper for tacos or in this salmon bowl. For a lighter lunch, scoop it up with crunchy pita or tortilla chips.
FAQs
Yes, but don't prepare the avocado or add the dressing until you are ready to serve, to keep it crunchy and fresh
No you don't, if you prefer raw onion then you can leave them as is, otherwise pickling the onion helps mellow the harsh flavor and adds a tangy bite
The lemon juice in the dressing helps slow browning. I actually had leftover salad and noticed the next day the avocado wasn't brown at all
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Recipe
Avocado Salad (Tastes Great With Everything)
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 medium Persian or Lebanese cucumbers
- ½ medium red onion
- Big handful chopped cilantro/coriander or parsley
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- *Optional finally jalapeno for spice
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon juiced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice the red onion and add them to a large salad bowl
- Add the red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt and stir through, leaving the onions to slightly pickle on the side while you prep the rest
- Peel off strips of the cucumber skin, then slice them in half lengthways then thinly into half circles
- Chop the avocados into cubes. I find it easiest to slice the avocados in half then cut diagonal slits through the avocado without going all the way through to the skin, then scooping out the cubes using a spoon
- Add the dressing ingredients to a glass jar or ramekin and stir together
- Remove all of the red wine vinegar from the onions and disregard, leaving the pickled onions in the bowl
- Add the cucumbers, chopped fresh herbs and jalapeno if using. Pour in half of the dressing and toss well to ensure everything is coated
- Then add the chopped avocados and pour over the remaining dressing. Gently stir through making sure not to over mix or mash up the avocado. Allow it to sit in the fridge for 5 minutes, then give it a final stir and serve up your creamy and delicious Avocado Salad!
Notes
- Avocado - choose ripe avocados that feel slightly soft when pressed but are still firm enough to dice without falling apart
- Serving - add the avocado just before serving to keep its creamy texture and prevent it from becoming too soft. Toss the salad gently instead of stirring too much to keep the avocado pieces intact
- Add jalapeño or red chili flakes for a little spicy kick
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