This Cuban side dish is perfect for your summertime cookouts! It's subtle acidity will bring a nice balance to rich main dishes.
Going along with my Cuban cuisine posts, here is my favorite go-to salad for the hot Summer months: Cuban Avocado Salad! In Cuban cooking, this salad (or a variation, see below) is served along with fresh Cuban bread and plantains or tostones (a salty fried plantain). With its light dressing and fresh ingredients it is the perfect accompaniment for rice and black beans, Arroz Imperial, piccadillo, or ropa veija! In the coming weeks I will be posting more of these Cuban classics, but for now I hope you enjoy this salad that can go with anything! Honestly, this salad is so tasty that I often eat it as my main dish with white rice! It is also the perfect accompaniment for this Chipotle Tamale Pie recipe, check it out!
CUBAN AVOCADO SALAD:
Ingredients:
- 2-3 ripe avocados (I live in California now so I use Hass, I actually prefer them to the larger, fruitier avocados in South Florida)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 3 tbsp. white vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Prepare your dressing first so you can immediately coat your avocados to keep them from browning. Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper, adjusting to taste (I like to add a bit more vinegar than suggested).
- Slice, dice and prepare all of your vegetables, pour dressing over veggies and lightly toss.
- Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- NOTE: Plan on making your salad no more than 1 hour before you plan on eating it as the acid in the vinegar will break down the avocado and tomatoes and make the salad get mushy.
Note on Traditional Cuban Salad Variation: You can make this basic recipe into more of a traditional salad by adding a head or two of Romain lettuce and a bunch of fresh parsley. Both versions are eaten in Cuban households and it really depends on what you have on hand!
