Mexico · 10 min · Vegan · Sauce & seasoning · For beginners
Guacamole
For 4 servings · US units
Ripe avocado, lime, onion and salt, on the table in ten minutes
Guacamole is all about a handful of ingredients: ripe avocado, a little onion, fresh lime juice and enough salt. With so few of them in the bowl, every one has to pull its weight. It's ready in ten minutes, ideally with a bowl of tortilla chips right next to it, and it belongs at any celebration where everyone is reaching into the same bowl.
Ingredients
- 2avocadoripe, flesh scooped out
- 1 ozonionwhite or yellow, very finely diced
- 1limejuiced; more to taste
- ½ tspsaltabout 1/4 tsp per avocado to start, adjust to taste
- 4 tbspchopped (optional)The fresh leaves of the coriander plant, with a bright, citrusy and slightly peppery taste.Substitute: There is no true substitute. Flat-leaf parsley, perhaps with a little lime zest, adds colour and green freshness but not cilantro's distinctive citrusy note.Read more
- 1finely diced (optional)Medium-sized green chilli from Mexico, thick-fleshed and juicy, with a fresh, moderate heat.Substitute: Other fresh green chillies of medium heat work well, such as serrano, which is somewhat hotter, or sturdy green chillies from an Asian grocer used more sparingly. Mild Turkish long green peppers give a similar freshness but little heat.Read more
- 1tomatoesRoma tomato, diced (optional)
Method
- Finely dice the onionDice the onion very finely; the smaller the pieces, the better they'll blend into the avocado later.
- Soften the onionPress the diced onion with the back of a fork until it looks translucent. This draws out its flavor without letting it take over with a sharp bite.
- Scoop out the avocadosHalve the avocados, remove the pits and scoop the flesh into a bowl with a spoon.
- Mash the avocadoMash the avocado with a fork, a potato masher or in a molcajete until it has the texture you like, whether that's smooth or a little chunky.
- Mix everything togetherStir the onion, lime juice and salt into the avocado. If you like, add the chopped cilantro, finely diced jalapeño and diced Roma tomato now.
- Taste and adjust seasoningTaste and add more salt and lime juice a little at a time until the guacamole tastes bright and balanced.
- Serve right awayServe the guacamole right away, with tortilla chips for example.
Tips and variations
The simple version sticks to avocado, onion, lime and salt, and that's exactly where its charm lies. Adding tomato, jalapeño and cilantro makes it more colorful, fresher and a little spicier. For a bigger crowd, set the guacamole out alongside salsa verde, a tomatillo-chipotle salsa and plenty of tortilla chips so everyone can dip their way through all three.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
