Creamy Guacamole

Guacamole is a tried-and-true, crowd-pleasing appetizer that always makes an appearance at Game Days, parties, and gatherings where finger foods are the focus. It is also usually the first appetizer to disappear.  There are countless versions of this simple recipe, many with unnecessarily long lists of ingredients.  The best guacamole, however, is the simplest and the truth is that authentic guacamole has only a handful of  ingredients:  avocado, lime juice, chillies, minced onion and cilantro.

One tip is that the avocados have to be perfectly ripe, so buy them early in the week and allow them to ripen at room temperature. Then refrigerate them for a couple of days to prevent from over-ripening and getting brown spots.  Their rich, buttery flavor is perfectly balanced by the acidity of the lime juice, the sharpness of the diced onions and the heat of the chillies. Make your own adjustments as necessary for a spicier or a milder guacamole, but no matter what, do plan to make it this weekend!

Creamy Guacamole

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

An easy appetizer that comes together in minutes!

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Appetizer

Ingredients

• 2 medium, ripe Hass avocados
• 1 TBSP. fresh lime juice
• ½ tsp. fine sea salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 2-4 TBSP. red onion, finely diced
• 1 TBSP. jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced (leave seeds on if you want extra heat)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and the pepper, mince the cilantro and set them aside.
2. Cut in half the avocados and remove the seeds. Score the flesh of the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop out the flesh. Place the avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or with a fork until smooth and creamy but, If you prefer the guacamole chunkier, do not mash it too much.
3. Stir in the red onions, the pepper and the cilantro and mix everything very well. Taste and if necessary, add more lime juice or more jalapeño. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes, or so, to allow the flavors to develop. Taste again and adjust the seasoning.
4. Serve with warm tortilla chips.

Notes

My favorite tortilla chips are the multigrain chips by "Food Should Taste Good". They have flax seeds, sesame seeds and quinoa. They are also gluten-free and they are absolutely delicious.

3.5.3226