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Avocados Vinaigrette

April  1, 2014

As a defiant response to Sad Desk Lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we'll be sharing our happiest desk lunches -- and we want to see yours, too.

Today: A new way to eat avocados, with only a spoon and some leftover dressing.

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I recently made this very good citrus salad for lunch, and finished off the last bits of an avocado on the side. I cupped the partially-demolished avocado half in my hand, spooning a surplus of shallot vinaigrette into the vessel as you would a mignonette onto an oyster. Why don't I do this more often, I thought. And why don't you?

Here you go: Halve an avocado. Spoon some shallot-y vinaigrette into its belly button. Eat with a spoon. Add more dressing as necessary, spooning and spooning, until you are left with a weightless black shell of avocado skin. 

More: Brush up on what to look for when you're buying avocados.

Eat this as a lunch component -- with a supporting cast of rice or boiled eggs or whatever -- or as a snack. Go back to avocado toast tomorrow. Or don't.

Tell us: How do you avocado?

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Sharon Sullivan
    Sharon Sullivan
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    HalfPint
Marian Bull

Written by: Marian Bull

writer

19 Comments

Sharon S. December 15, 2015
I stuff my avocado with a homemade Tuscan tuna and cannelloni bean salad. I also carry an avocado with me when I travel along with a plastic spoon and fork so I can make a quick meal in the airport while waiting for my flight. ?
 
catalinalacruz June 22, 2014
An Avocado half is perfect with coarse salt and Tabasco sauce. This looks good too. I'll try it.
 
rebecca May 19, 2014
My favourite snack! or Balsamic Glaze in the middle. mmmmm
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Selina April 7, 2014
I started eating avocados on their own during my years of looking after other people's kids. I'd mash up half the avocado with some tuna for the little one, then save the other half for myself. My favourite method is sliced thinly on a tiny plate, sprinkled with lemon (or lime) juice, a touch of salt, and a whole whack of fresh ground black pepper.
 
Marian B. April 11, 2014
I do that, too -- the thin slicing and squeezing and sprinkling. One of my favorite snacks! Fuchsia Dunlop also has a recipe in Every Grain of Rice that is essentially sliced avocado and sliced tofu drizzled with soy sauce. Which I love.
 
HalfPint April 2, 2014
I want to just put out there that avocados can be a quick and simply decadent dessert. Just sprinkle a half avo with a spoon of sugar and dig in.

Sometimes, I like to scoop out the flesh, mash with a spoon of sugar and add some milk. Oh so good.
 
mumsie April 9, 2014
I eat an avocado a day. What a good new idea for dessert! Thank you.
 
wietje April 10, 2014
You can add milk into the mashed avo, or use condensed milk (omit the sugar), add espresso, chocolate milk or cacao, top with granita. Delish.
 
Marian B. April 11, 2014
Crazy -- I've never tried this!
 
Lindsay-Jean H. April 2, 2014
When I stray from avocado toast, it's generally for a simple salad with chunks of avocado and hard boiled egg, drizzled with olive oil (and sprinkled with salt, of course). But I might need to get this into the rotation too -- yum.
 
Marian B. April 11, 2014
Yum. I love that salad.
 
Rachel P. April 2, 2014
Any quick avocado breakfast, side dish for brunch, lunch or snack is cubing the whole thing and tossing it with a squeeze of fresh lemon and some Breton Fleur de Sel.
 
Tereza April 2, 2014
Love eating avocados right out of the shell!

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Greenstuff April 1, 2014
Very delicious, but definitely not "a new way to eat avocados." In the US, I think we'd find a lot of similar recipes from the 1930s, at least in some locales. They became more generally popular in the 1950s, and I've been eating them like this (and also with mayonnaise instead of the vinaigrette) since then.
 
The K. April 1, 2014
I make something very like this - based on something my mum made all the time when I was a kid (when avocados first became available in the dark ages of the 80s) - but mine has BACON in it. It's like a BLT, sans lettuce and bread. And it's super yum! You can check it out here: http://kitchen-maid.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/avocado-vinaigrette.html
 
Veganosity April 1, 2014
I LOVE using avocados in salad dressing! We just made a Rainbow Salad a couple weeks ago that uses an avocado vinaigrette (http://www.veganosity.com/food/pot-of-gold-salad/) and it was sooo amazing!
 
aargersi April 1, 2014
Marian you are going to turn INTO an avocado! In a good way :-)
 
Marian B. April 1, 2014
Avocado-shaped is the new pear-shaped.
 
Sarah J. April 1, 2014
I'd like to be an avocado in my next life.