It is usually the case that if you see a bowl of mashed avocado on a table, it's guacamole. And why not? We happen to love guacamole (you can read all about that here). But one of our readers, Tal, does not. She recently told us that she loves avocados but doesn't like guacamole.
Are there any avocado-based dips out there that she could make instead?
We're assuming that Tal doesn't love the classic cilantro, lime, cumin, or maybe garlic flavors that are in guacamole. And yes, there are plenty of ways to mash up avocados without adding those Mexican flavors.
Most of the dips we dug up have either sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise added to make the mixture creamy. Some still have lime (which helps prevent the avocado from browning), but you could always substitute lemon juice. If you want a smooth purée, this is probably the way to go; you can add any number of herbs or spices, like a dash of Tabasco or a palmful of chopped parsley or dill.
Another idea would be to highlight the avocado in a chunky salad — that could, if you're really hung up on a dip, be scooped up with pita bread. Think about what flavors you like with your avocado. Dice up other vegetables, add some corn or beans, or stir the avocado up with couscous or quinoa. Salt well and add some kick with scallions.
Here are a few more ideas:
Or try the combination pictured above: Nigella's Roquemole, from Flickr member daxiang stef, with avocados, Roquefort cheese, scallions, sour cream, and pickled jalapeños.
Related: Mixed Bean and Avocado Salad
(Image: Flickr member daxiang stef, licensed under Creative Commons)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Bacon (not too crisp), crisp apples (diced), avocado, tomatoes. Gently mash. Get fat. Yum.
view greeps's profile
sometimes i make an avocado hummus. when i make it, i usually caramelize an onion (throwing in a few cloves of garlic towards the end) to anchor the flavors a bit, which then gets pureed up with the chickpeas (or white beans, if you'd like) and spices. and i vary the seasonings widely, depending on my fresh herb situation and mood. sometimes i like a black pepper and lime, sometimes lemon-dill-tahini or chipotle-spiked versions; i've even made it with indian spices (which was good, though not my all-time favorite).
in terms of general suggestions, though, i'd experiment with (a) combining the avocado with other base ingredients, (b) incorporating some cooked ingredients rather than the raw onion-garlic-tomato combo of guacamole, and (c) playing with seasonings.
good luck!
view katiebug's profile
Actually, if making an avocado dip using yogurt, there is no need to add further acid like lemon or lime. The yogurt itself (likely from the live cultures) will prevent oxidization also.
view NyKittyNy's profile
Here in Brazil we use to eat avogado as dessert, processed with heavy cream, sugar or honey, lime and some cinnamon.
It's really delicious!!!!!
view Pat Feldman's profile
I just mix avocado with a bit of yogurt and salt, and some minced fresh herbs if I have any. It's absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy.
It also makes it easier to eat a large number of avocados without feeling like you're eating that much.
I figure the acidic yogurt probably matches avocado in the same way as acidic lemon juice.
view sphinxie's profile
And now I'm thinking--could one use fresh orange juice instead of lemon juice?
view sphinxie's profile
I grew up eating mashed avacado mixed with sugar and lime. Which makes sense that it's a variation of a Brazilian dessert since my dad grew up in Brazil!
Yummy!!
view revolution9's profile
the sweet Brazillian version would make a great fruit dip. Maybe even using strained yogurt instead of cream.
view gayatri's profile