Avocado Salad with a tangy lemon dressing, onion and tomato. This avocado salad is a simple, delish summer salad. The recipe is vegan and gluten free.
This avocado salad is my favorite salad and I make it pretty often – sometimes as a side and on occasions as a main meal with a nicely toasted sourdough loaf or bread.
This Avocado salad
Though there are many ways an avocado salad is made. I am sharing a recipe that is a vegan and gluten-free version. This is one avocado salad that I make many times.
- Flavor profile: the subtle sweetness, smoothness and creaminess of the avocado give a sharp contrast to the crispness of the onions, the tanginess of the tomatoes and the lemon. The herbs and spices give a warming earthy flavor.
- Lemon dressing: a small quantity of lemon vinaigrette dressing is made just enough for the salad. Adding this lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic & olive oil in the dressing makes the salad very flavorful. Some spices are also added in the dressing which gives slightly spiced and warm tones in the salad.
- Smoked paprika: i must mention here that the addition of smoked paprika in the dressing brings some smokiness and heat in the salad. If you do not have smoked paprika, then you can easily substitute with cayenne or red chilli powder.
- Quick & easy: it is a breeze to make this salad and gets done in 10 to 20 minutes.
- Ripe avocado: For most avocado recipes, always use ripe avocado to get the best taste and texture. If the avocados are not ripe, then cover with a paper towel or brown paper and place them on the kitchen counter for some days till they ripen.
How to make avocado salad
Making the salad dressing
1. In a small bowl take 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 dash of lemon zest or zest from 1 small lemon.
2. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
3. Add ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 1 small to medium garlic (minced or finely chopped). In place of smoked paprika you can use ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika or red chilli powder.
4. Mix very well and keep the dressing aside.
Preparing avocado & veggies
5. Finely chop 1 small onion, chop 1 medium tomato and some parsley leaves. You will need ¼ cup finely chopped onions, ⅓ to ½ cup chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro).
6. Place the chopped onions, tomatoes and parsley in a mixing bowl.
7. Now halve 2 medium-sized avocados.
8. Remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp with a spoon from the avocado halves.
9. Chop the avocado pulp. If you do not want to chop the avocado, then just the avocado pulp in the bowl. Mash and mix everything together.
Making avocado salad
10. Place the chopped avocados in the mixing bowl.
11. Stir and then pour the dressing.
12. Season with a dash of black salt (optional). Then add regular white salt or kosher salt or himalayan pink salt or rock salt. Adding black salt gives a slight eggy flavor in the salad. I have used a mix of both black salt and rock salt.
13. Toss and mix well.
14. Serve the avocado salad as a side or main. While serving garnish with some finely chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves).
Tips & variations for avocado salad
- Some more crunch: you can add 1 small to medium-sized cucumber in the salad.
- Herbs: your choice of soft herbs can be added.
- Spices: some ground cumin or ground coriander can also be sprinkled on the salad.
- Substitution: instead of parsley, you can use cilantro (coriander leaves).
- Lemony & tangy: for a tangy taste, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon juice.
- Servings: the salad serves 3 if served as a side and 1 to 2 servings when served as a main.
- Optional: skip black salt if you do not have it.
- Make ahead: this salad can be made ahead and then refrigerated for a couple of hours. In this case just add the salts before you serve. But the salad is best when served fresh.
Some more awesome Salad recipes
This post from the archives originally published on 17 march 2014 has been republished and updated with step by step photos on 26 december 2019.
Please be sure to rate this recipe in the recipe card below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Avocado Salad
Ingredients
for lemon dressing
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 dash lemon zest or zest from 1 small lemon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small to medium garlic - minced or finely chopped
other ingredients
- ¼ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small onion
- ⅓ to ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized tomato
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves)
- 2 medium-sized avocados - chopped, preferable to use hass avocado
- 1 dash black salt - optional
- white salt or kosher salt or himalayan pink salt - as per taste
Instructions
making the salad dressing
- In a small bowl take the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice.
- Add the smoked paprika, black pepper and minced or finely chopped garlic.
- In place of smoked paprika you can use ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika or red chilli powder.
- Mix very well and keep the dressing aside.
making avocado salad
- Take chopped onions, tomatoes and parsley in a mixing bowl.
- Add chopped avocado.
- Stir the dressing again and then pour it on the avocado.
- Season with a dash of black salt. Also, add white salt or kosher salt or himalayan pink salt or rock salt.
- Toss and mix well.
- Serve avocado salad as a side or a main.
Notes
- You can add 1 small to medium-sized cucumber in the salad.
- Your choice of soft herbs can be added.
- Some ground cumin can also be sprinkled on the salad.
- Instead of parsley you can use cilantro (coriander leaves).
- For a tangy taste, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon juice.
- The salad serves 3 if served as a side and 1 to 2 servings when served as a main.
- Skip black salt if you do not have it and just add regular white salt or table salt.
- This salad can be made ahead and then refrigerated for a couple of hours. In this case just add the salts before you serve. However, best served fresh.
Hi Dassana,
Avocados aren’t easily available around my place. Is there any other veggie that I can use? Going through the reviews on this one.. everyone has heaped praises on this recipe. It makes me want to try..
On another note, comments have been closed on almost all recipes on the blog. Is there any other way one can reach out in case of queries on any recipe?
Thanks!
hi ruchi, you can use the same dressing with a mix of boiled potatoes, green peas, steamed carrots and steamed beans or blanched beans. even boiled corn can be added. i make a lot of salads with various dressings. just that i do not get time to add them on the website.
you can even check the potato salad recipe i have shared earlier. i will be sharing a few salad recipes which are in the drafts. another healthy variation you can add to salads is roasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds or roasted crushed peanuts. a quick salad i make is chopping some carrots, cucumber. drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and herbs like coriander, parsley or basil. add some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. roast pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds in a small pan. mix and toss.
i will try to open the comments section soon. wishing you and your family a happy new year.
Hi Dassana, can we add mayonnaise- just curious to know if that combination will work here. Thanks
Pallavi
pallavi, you can use mayonnaise. but then reduce oil. just add ½ to 1 teaspoon oil as mayonnaise already has oil in it.
Hi Dassana
I made this salad for my husband and he like it very much.
Can you post some more receipe of salad.
khanjan, glad to know this. i will try to add more salad recipes.