Avocado Salad
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This easy avocado salad combines creamy avocado with ripe tomatoes, red onions and a zesty lime dressing. It’s the perfect healthy side dish.
Let me start by saying that I love love love avocado and could an avocado every day if I had access to an avocado tree. Because let’s be honest, avocados aren’t cheap and most of the time my kids eat all the avocado in the house before I get a chance to have any.
While I love a good avocado toast for breakfast, I also love the simplicity of an avocado salad. It’s almost like deconstructed guacamole.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This salad is fresh, simple, and so versatile. Here’s why you’ll want to make it on repeat:
- Ready in minutes – You can chop everything and have it on the table in under 10 minutes.
- Fresh and flavorful – Creamy avocado paired with juicy tomatoes and a zesty lime dressing? Yes, please.
- Naturally gluten-free and vegan – Made with simple, whole ingredients.
- Perfect for any meal – Serve it as a side, a topping for tacos, or even as a dip with chips.
- Customizable – Easy to add extra veggies, grilled corn, or even black beans if you want to bulk it up.
Avocado Salad Ingredients
This salad has similar ingredients to what you’d find in traditional guacamole, but we’re keeping everything in large chunks instead of mashing it all together so it’s easier to eat with a fork and feels more like a traditional salad than a dip. Many avocado salads also call for cucumber to add a little crunch so feel free to add that in if desired.
- avocados – look for avocados that give slightly when you press on the flesh. If they’re too firm that means they aren’t ripe yet!
- cilantro – the perfect herb accompaniment to avocados and a key ingredient in this salad. You could also use parsley if you want to switch up the flavor profile.
- red onion – adds a little zest , crunch and a ton of flavor to the salad. If raw red onion feels too pungent you can soak the onion slices in bowl of ice cold water for a 10-15 minutes before using. After soaking, just drain and use! This will mellow out the flavor a bit.
- roma tomatoes – I love the slight sweetness and burst of texture these juicy tomatoes add to the salad. If you don’t have access to roma tomatoes, go for cherry or grape tomatoes. They’re small and have so much flavor.
- lime dressing – a simple combination of olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic and salt. It’s sooo good! If you’re feeling like you want something different. Try this same dressing with lemon juice instead of lime!
Substitutions & Variations
This avocado salad is super flexible—here are a few ways you can change it up:
- Lemon instead of lime: If you’re out of limes, lemon juice will still give a fresh, bright taste to the dressing.
- Tomato swap: You can use grape or cherry tomatoes if you don’t have Roma tomatoes on hand.
- Cilantro alternatives: Not a cilantro fan? Try chopped parsley or even fresh basil for a different flavor.
- Extra add-ins: Want to bulk it up? Add in some grilled corn, black beans, or diced cucumber for even more texture and flavor.
How to Make Avocado Salad
This easy avocado salad recipe comes together in just a few quick steps:
Step 1: In a small jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, and sea salt. Shake or stir until well combined.
Step 2: Chop the avocados, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.
Step 3: Add everything to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss to combine.
Step 4: Serve immediately and enjoy!
Brittany’s Tip
- Don’t skip the lime dressing: I must say… the lime dressing totally makes this salad! It adds the citrus, salty component that all good guacamole has and makes the salad insanely delicious.
What Pairs Well with Avocado Salad
This salad is great as a healthy appetizer or side dish with a Mexican-themed meal. It can also work as a healthy lunch/dinner entrée when paired with a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu or tempeh.
How to Store
This salad is definitely best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last about 1–2 days. To help minimize browning, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the salad before sealing. Give it a gentle toss before serving!
Frequently Asked Questions
This salad is best made right before serving to keep the avocado fresh and vibrant. If you need to prep ahead, chop the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro ahead of time and add the avocado just before tossing with the dressing.
Yes! It’s naturally vegan as long as you’re using maple syrup (or skipping sweetener altogether) in the dressing.
Look for ripe but firm avocados that have a slight give when gently pressed. Too soft, and they’ll turn mushy when you toss everything together.
More Healthy Salads to Try
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Hearts of Palm Salad with Shrimp and Avocado
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Easy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Spinach Salad
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Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 avocados, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
Lime Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the dressing in a small jar. Shake or stir until everything is combined. Add salt to taste.
- Chop all of your salad ingredients and add to a large bowl. Top with the dressing, toss salad and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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