Have you ever wanted to eat guacamole as a meal? This popular dip takes center stage when it stars in Guacamole Salad! It’s easy to make and perfect for lunch or dinner.
I admit it. After a long day when I’m really tired and starving, I’ve eaten chips and guacamole for dinner.
If I had the energy, I would make Soyrizo Potato Tacos and top them with diced avocado to balance out the spice. Or I might enjoy breakfast for dinner and have Tofu Scramble Tostadas.
And I know there could be worse things to eat for dinner than a bowl of guac. But I always feel a little guilty when I’m done, especially about the massive quantity of tortilla chips I consume with it.
But now I have a solution, and its name is Guacamole Salad! And since it only takes about 15 minutes to make, there’s really no excuse not to try it. It’s a great way to enjoy a meal based on guacamole.
In addition, this salad is perfect as part of a vegan Mediterranean diet. Not only does it contain plenty of greens, veggies, and legumes, avocados are a good source of fat.
Guacamole Salad Ingredients
Guacamole Salad is fast to make since there is very little chopping involved. And the ingredients are easy to find. The exact measurements for each component is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lettuce: I start with mixed salad greens I buy at the market. Of course you can use any type of lettuce you want, but sometimes I like the convenience and variety of the ready-to-go packages.
- Salad toppings: I like to add cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, green onions, and black olives. But you can use whatever ingredients are your favorites. Some other possibilities are radishes, red onion, and kidney beans.
- Guacamole ingredients: I make the guacamole with avocados, lime juice, jalapeno, fresh garlic, and salt. But feel free to add tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, if you like. Or take a short cut and simply use avocados, lime juice, garlic salt, and a dash of hot sauce.
- Tortilla chips: I love adding some crushed corn tortilla chips to my salad for extra crunch.
- Fresh cilantro: I really enjoy adding cilantro to Mexican-inspired dishes, but this is strictly optional. If you don’t care for the herb, leave it off.
How to choose the perfect avocado
There’s nothing more disappointing than slicing into an avocado and finding a mushy brown mess on the inside. While I can’t guarantee this method will work 100% of the time, I’ve found that it’s best to choose avocados that have a little piece of the stem still attached. If the stem is missing, don’t buy it.
If you can’t easily pull out the little stem, the avocado isn’t ripe yet. I prefer to purchase avocados in this unripe state and let them ripen on my counter for a day or two.
If the stem comes out with no resistance, check the color of the small circle under the stem:
- Brown: the avocado is mostly likely overripe.
- Light yellow: it’s not quite ripe yet.
- Bright green: your avocado is ripe and ready to go!
Guacamole Salad Recipe
This recipe makes two large meal-size salads. I’m talking really BIG salads, like the ones you get in restaurants and may not be able to finish eating all at once.
But if you want to serve these salads as appetizers, you can easily make four or more servings from this recipe. They would go great with other Mexican-inspired recipes such as Vegan Fajitas or Taco Pasta.
It’s best to enjoy this salad right away instead of making it in advance. However, you can prep the ingredients ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator in separate containers until you’re ready to eat.
Basic instructions:
- In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the olive oil and lime juice. Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, and olives. Toss again and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the guacamole ingredients. Lightly mash everything together with a fork. Taste to adjust for salt.
- Divide the salad among two bowls or plates. Add half the guacamole to the top of each salad. Top with the crushed tortilla chips and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.
Mason jar meal prep instructions:
Add half the olive oil and lime juice to the bottom of 2 mason jars. Then add the rest of the salad ingredients in the following order (half in each jar):
- black beans
- corn
- olives
- green onions
- tomatoes
- salad greens
- cilantro
Place the top on each jar.
Prepare the guacamole and divide it between two small containers with lid. Pat down the guacamole with a spoon to remove any air bubbles. Drizzle about 1/2 and inch of lukewarm water on top of the guacamole. Put the lid on and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
When ready to eat, pour off the water from the top of the guacamole. Stir well and enjoy on top of the salad along with some crushed tortilla chips. I love using this easy method for storing guacamole so it stays green.
Other meal-sized salad recipes
If you’re interested in more substantial salads you can enjoy for lunch or dinner, you may like these other vegan recipes:
- BBQ Ranch Salad with Chickpeas
- Tex Mex Salad Bowl
- Black Bean Pineapple Salad
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chickpeas Salad with Ranch
And be sure to check out my best-selling Vegan Mix & Match Salads eBook Cookbook!
Want more easy delicious recipes? Subscribe to the newsletter and get your FREE recipe ebook! You can also follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook Group for inspiration and fun.
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Guacamole Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 can black beans, (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn, (defrosted if frozen)
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 ounce tortilla chips, (about 13 chips) crushed
- cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
For the guacamole:
- 2 avocados
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon jalapeno, minced (optional)
- 1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the olive oil and lime juice. Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, and olives. Toss again and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the guacamole ingredients. Lightly mash everything together with a fork. Taste to adjust for salt.
- Divide the salad among two bowls or plates. Add half the guacamole to the top of each salad. Top with the crushed tortilla chips and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- black beans
- corn
- olives
- green onions
- tomatoes
- salad greens
- cilantro
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