Plum Avocado Summer Salad
We love this serrated peeler for tomatoes, asparagus, peaches and -- you guessed it -- plums!
Amanda uses her favorite mortar and pestle to make a paste of garlic and coarse salt.
And then the dried chili goes right in!
Synchronized smiles!
Amanda defies the laws of physics with the speed of her chopping.
The cilantro gets added to the mix too.
And then the olive oil. This mortar and pestle holds more than you might think!
A golden pile of chopped plums.
You want the plum and avocado chunks to be roughly the same size.
Don't be shy with the lemon juice!
Nor with the addictive cilantro-garlic-chili paste.
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A&M say: A study in contrasts, this salad blew us away with its unexpected combination of flavors and textures. It's as if the marriage of tart-sweet plum and buttery avocado was always meant to be -- and the fragrant cilantro garlic dressing brings just the right amount of heat to the party, in the form of a dried chili. Don't skimp on the lemon or the salt, as both are crucial for balance. We think dicing the plums and avocados a little finer and using this to top a piece of fish would be another great use for Lena S.'s great dish! - A&M
Lena S. says: This is a creation for a nice quick summer salad! I discovered recently that I love avocado - perhaps I had only had guacamole (not a texture for me) so I missed out a lot of years without avocado. Recently I was on a plum craze and I made this combo which was delicious. Peeling plums can try your patience, but it's worth the sweet fleshy goodness without the bitter skins. - Lena S.
Serves 2
- 2 medium ripe Avocados
- 5 medium sized ripe black plums
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 small clove of garlic
- several pinches sea salt (I'm on a pink himalayan salt phase myself)
- 1 medium lemon
- a few glugs of olive oil
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- Peel the black plums and cut into cubes (worth the task of peeling!).
- Peel the avocado and cut into cubes.
- Gently place the black plum and avocado chunks into a dish -- be careful not to mix too much, otherwise the avocado mushes all over. Squeeze with lemon and sprinkle in a couple pinches of sea salt. Do not mix.
- In a mortar and pestle, smash up the garlic clove with a little salt. Add the red chili pepper and continue crushing (should still be in big messy chunks). Add the cilantro and continue to mash until the ingredients are combined. Drizzle in the olive oil (1/4 to 1/2 cup) to make the dressing, mashing well.
- Drizzle the dressing with a spoon over the plums and avocado. Salt to taste.
- Let the salad sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soak in a bit and then enjoy.
- Your Best Recipe for Plums Contest Finalist!
6 months ago kumalavula
i have made this every summer since it appeared and people ask over and over for the recipe. it's a great combination of flavors. i've played around with black plums, pluots and may even try nectarines but i never peel the fruit and it seems perfectly fine. i hope to make this once or twice more before fall settles in.
11 months ago susan g
I've been waiting for months to make this -- it finally came together, and I had it with Panfusine's "handvo" -- it works like a chutney, and was a delightful compliment.
over 1 year ago carlinpatty
Just made this for dinner. Used several different types of plums and served it over a bed of arugula. Wonderful! Agree with others -- doesn't need as much oil, I used less than 1/4 cup.
over 1 year ago shortnmorose
I added blue cheese to this and it was phenomenal. My cheese guy looked at me funny and I was like, trust me. Plums avos and blu di bufala. YUM!
over 1 year ago Lena S.
I will have to give it a try - it does sound promising!
over 1 year ago jedverity
I agree with another commenter about using less oil. With 1/4 cup the olive oil flavor was very strong and there was a pool of it, mixed with juices, at the bottom of the bowl. Otherwise, this was amazing!
over 1 year ago Jed
Brilliant! How long do you think it could keep in the fridge?
over 1 year ago bmallorca
Jed, I made it last week and it kept well for at least two days in the fridge, and then it was gone. We made sure the dressing got all over the avocado, and didn't notice any terrible discoloration. However it was so yummy that no one would have cared!
over 1 year ago TheWimpyVegetarian
This was one of my favorite salads last summer. We had a house party-reunion this weekend and I made this last night as a side dish to some grilled pork tenderloins. Everyone, and I mean everyone, just raved about this salad. They loved how it looked and tasted. Everyone wanted the recipe! Thanks for making me look good!
over 1 year ago Lena S.
Wonderful!
almost 2 years ago assya85
I must say I wasn't sure how this would turn out, mixing avocados and plums seemed weird.
It turned out AMAZING ! I haven't had anyhing that flavourful in a long time, thank you !
HOwever, I cut down on the oil, I think 1/4 cup is enough, maybe even too much
Thank you again
almost 2 years ago Lena S.
Glad you liked it! You can definitely cut down on the oil as you prefer and adjust the lemon and chili to your taste!
over 2 years ago The Good Cook
It's so good!
over 2 years ago jmnookin
Just made this for lunch. Absolutely delicious. My plums were a mixture of varieties and ripeness, and that produced a rather lovely mix of textures, some bites a bit crunchier, some softer & sweeter. I will be making this again for sure!!
over 2 years ago Lena S.
Great! I have tried it both with more tart firm plums and also with super soft sweet ripened plums and it works both ways! A mix sounds divine.
over 2 years ago pauljoseph
Excellent recipe
over 2 years ago Lena S.
Thanks!
over 2 years ago rbnyc
Nicely done. I made this a couple nights ago as a salsa for swordfish. Didn't bother peeling the plums and diced a jalapeno pepper into the mix instead of the dried chili. I had considered adding some fish sauce but it really did not need it. Result was really excellent - highly recommend it.
over 2 years ago Lena S.
Great - I'm glad - I will try with fresh jalapeno some time.
over 2 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
I just made this for the second time this week. I just love this recipe. Congrats on creating such a wonderful salad and congrats on being the runner-up this week. I'm sure we're going to see lots of other wonderful recipes from you!
over 2 years ago arielleclementine
i made this tonight and thought it was incredible! thanks so much for sharing the recipe- i'll make it again and again!
over 2 years ago gingerroot
This was delicious - thanks so much for posting this recipe. Plums, cilantro and avocado are all favorites of mine so I will be making this again.
over 2 years ago cheese1227
I loved this recipe!!
over 2 years ago lapadia
Thanks for sharing your recipe and congrats on being "the" runner-up in this contest!
over 2 years ago Sagegreen
Congratulations on such a wonderful salad so rich in simple contrasts, so refreshing, and at the same time so healthy. Being the "runner up" is a kind of win, in and of itself, too!
over 2 years ago Lena S.
Hi - Thanks - and agreed - even runner up is a wonderful thing!
over 2 years ago Minkus
mmmmm....this was fabulous! We thoroughly enjoyed this salad and were so impressed by the chef's clever combination of flavours! A well thought out and beautiful recipe! Thank you Lena S!!
over 2 years ago bistro_gal
I made this tonight to rave reviews. I think that mashing the garlic with the cilantro and the oil in a pestle is critical, rather than simply chopping them, since mashing them blends the flavors into something that really complements the plums and avocados.Tom is right; this is the reason why this blog is so great; you stumble upon little gems like this recipe which are innovative, simple and delicious. I don't manage to impress my mother in law too often but tonight, with Lena's inspired recipe and very little effort, I did. Thank you, Lena S., you got my vote!
over 2 years ago Lena S.
I'm so happy to hear it was a crowd pleaser!! There is nothing like finally tickling the taste buds of a tough audience member!
I agree - mashing seems like an extra step - but it changes everything and smoothes out the flavors.