Tomato and Avocado Salad Recipe from Lana’s Cooking

Name: Tomato and Avocado Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 large ripe tomatoes (sliced); 1 ripe avocado (peeled and sliced); ¼ medium white onion (thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves ((or parsely)); Juice of half a lemon; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

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The very essence of summer! A light, refreshing, and healthy Tomato and Avocado Salad. Ready for the table in just 10 minutes. Serve this salad for a quick summer lunch, or at any summer party. It goes great with any grilled protein from fish to chicken to steak and guests always love it!

There's about to be a glut of something around here. That would be tomatoes. And I couldn't be happier! A fresh tomato picked at the peak of ripeness and eaten still warm from the sun's rays...why that's just about as close to perfection as you can get.

Tomato and avocado salad on a large white serving plate.

I've always grown tomatoes. Even in the years when I didn't plant much of a garden, I always had tomatoes.

However, in the place where we live now, it has become almost impossible to grow anything at all because of the deer and squirrel population. If the deer don't eat it, the squirrels do. Even all the little apples off our tree.

Have you ever seen a squirrel try to wrestle an apple down a tree without dropping it? After you get over your fury at the squirrel for mutilating your crop (once again), it can be downright hilarious.

Here's this teeny little squirrel with a huge mouthful of apple trying to maneuver the very limber limbs of an apple tree. It's nearly as entertaining as when BeeBop puts oil on the bird feeder post so they can't climb up it.

Enjoy Fresh Tomatoes While You Can

Of course, one of my most favorite ways to enjoy fresh, ripe garden tomatoes is in a tomato sandwich. I love the simple, classic one consisting of two slices of soft, white bread spread thickly with good mayonnaise, topped with slices of juicy tomato, and lots of salt and pepper. Hold over the sink and eat it while the juice drips down your arm. Yum. Summer.

When you get tired of tomato sandwiches (What! As if!), here's another idea for those beauties. A Tomato and Avocado Salad with onion and cilantro dressed simply with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It's almost as yummy as a tomato sandwich!

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Enjoy Fresh Tomatoes While You Can
Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients You'll Need
How to Make Tomato and Avocado Salad
Slice the Tomatoes, Avocado, and Onion
Dress the Salad
Recipe Success Tips
Subsitutions and Additions
FAQs
📖 Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Less than 10 minutes prep time.
Bursting with fresh summer flavors
Contains healthy fats
Great for summer get-togethers

Ingredients You'll Need

Ripe tomatoes
Ripe avocado
Onion
Fresh cilantro (or parsley)
Lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

You'll find detailed measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Tomato and Avocado Salad

I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you'll find the recipe card.

Slice the Tomatoes, Avocado, and Onion

Photo collage showing the assembly of the tomato and avocado salad.

Arrange the sliced tomatoes, avocado, and onion on a platter. Scatter the cilantro over the top.

Dress the Salad

Salad on a plate being drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.

Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Recipe Success Tips

For this recipe, I recommend using a tomato such as Beefsteak or Brandywine (if you can find them), or any heirloom variety. Just make sure the tomatoes you choose are completely ripe.

Wondering how to choose a good, ripe tomato? It's not difficult, actually. Just make sure that the tomatoes don't have any obvious blemishes like split skins or dark spots. Weigh the tomato in your hand - it should feel heavy for its size. It should also feel firm yet soft enough to give slightly when pressed. And, ripe tomatoes should be fragrant when you smell the spot where it was attached to the stem.

And the same with avocados. Ripe Haas avocados will typically have a dark skin and feel slightly soft but not mushy when gentle pressure is applied.

Subsitutions and Additions

A small cucumber, peeled and cut into slices is a nice addition.
Add a few Kalamata olives for additional flavor.
Substitute balsamic vinegar for the lemon juice.
If you're not a fan of cilantro, fresh parsley or basil is a good substitute.

FAQs

Are avocados healthy?

Avocados contain healthy fats, they're low in carbs, and high in fiber. They're a good choice for a healthy diet.

How long will avocados last in a salad?

Cut avocados do brown very quickly. However, the lemon juice in this salad will help prevent that from happening for several hours. Even though it's best eaten soon after making, if will keep for a short time if it's well wrapped with plastic wrap.

Is olive oil healthy?

Yes, but some are more so than others. Extra virgin olive oil is processed so that it keeps many of the antioxidants from the olives, therefore rendering it healthier than the more processed types of olive oil.

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