I realized this afternoon that my avocados were super ripe and wanted to use them before they went bad. This led me to remember a recipe for an avocado vinaigrette I had seen in a salad dressing book in my house and decided to give it a try.
BEST FOR- using super ripe avocados when you don’t feel like making guacamole
MUSICAL PAIRING- “While I Was Playin’ Fair” by Gramatik
~Adapted from Salad Dressings by Jessica Strand~
INGREDIENTS
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and quartered
1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
¾ cup virgin olive oil
2.5 tsp fresh lemon juice
1.5 tsp fresh lemon zest (see note)
½ lime, squeezed
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in blender. Blend (see note). Refrigerate (unless you like room temperature dressing). Enjoy!
NOTES
- Lemon zest note: I personally had zero idea how to get a teaspoon and a half of lemon zest and only a shady idea of what lemon zest even was. Googling didn’t help because I lacked a lemon zester. So, I simply used a cheese grater. Worked perfectly!
- Bending note: To be completely honest, I stopped reading the recipe once I read the last ingredient. The originally recipe instructs you to blend all ingredients except the olive oil, zest, and black pepper. Then you are to add the olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing emulsifies. After, transfer to a medium bowl, fold in zest with large spoon, and season with pepper. I inadvertently chose to simplify the recipe and simply blend all ingredients together and was more than satisfied with my results, but feel free to try both ways!
- In general note: as with any vinaigrette, the ingredients will separate so make sure to shake vigorously before using!
The Carmel Kama'aina 