Three ways with avocado: Salad recipes to kickstart your new year

If one of your new year resolutions is to eat more healthily, then these three salads featuring avocado may be of interest to you.

If you’re on a health kick this month, you might be looking to the likes of avocados to help get you through.

Higher in potassium than bananas, avocados are hand-picked in warmer climes but add some essential nutrients to all types of dishes, most notably salads or breakfast foods.

So get your 2021 off to a great start by welcoming some more avocado into your life.

For more inspiration, take a look at our previous recipes in this series here.

Crayfish, avocado and watercress salad with cucumber and lime butter

(Serves: 4 as a starter or 2 as a main meal)

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tsp chives, finely chopped
• 85g watercress

For the lime butter:

• 50ml fresh lime juice
• 65g cold butter, diced
• 250g of cooked crayfish

Method

1. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber lengthways into ribbons, discarding the centre.
2. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, peel and slice into thin strips. Place the lime juice into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-low heat.
3. Whisk in the butter one cube at a time, until completely melted and fully combined. Whisk in the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the watercress, cucumber and avocado between four plates. Top with the crayfish and drizzle with lime butter and then serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of www.watercress.co.uk

Watercress and avocado salad with bacon and apple

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp créme fraîche
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 100g streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 1 Bramley apple, cored and diced
• 2 x 85g bag watercress

Method

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the stones, then peel and slice lengthways. Mix the mayonnaise, créme fraîche, honey, mustard and vinegar.
2. Place the bacon and apple in a frying pan and fry until the bacon is brown and crispy, about five minutes. Add the watercress into a large bowl and sprinkle over the fried bacon and apple. Lay the sliced avocado over the top of the salad before drizzling with the mayonnaise dressing.

Recipe from www.watercress.co.uk

Prawn, avocado and quinoa salad with a chia salad dressing

(Serves 2) 

Ingredients

• 90g quinoa
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 90g prawns, raw
• 3 limes
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Small bunch coriander
• 1 avocado
• 100g rocket
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook the quinoa according to the packet and leave to cool slightly. In a medium pan, on a high heat, warm a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Once hot, add the prawns with a bit of the lime zest and juice and cook until just pink all over, just a few minutes.
3. In a suitable container mix the mustard, extra virgin olive oil and the juice of two whole limes. Mix together until well combined and stir through the chia seeds.
4. Pick the coriander leaves, slice the avocado and mix with the remaining salad ingredients.
5. Spoon over as much of the dressing as you wish, season with salt and pepper and serve with any remaining lime wedges.

Recipe from www.thechiaco.com/uk

More in this series…