Grilled avocado? Yes, and it just might become your new favorite thing to grill. It beats those browning slices you’ve laid out to top burgers, and it sure as hell beats store-bought guacamole. Worthy of creating an appetizer course (hey, that gives you an excuse to offer friends a tequila pairing), this satiating avocado dish is easier than it looks to prepare.
Chef Richard Sandoval serves his grilled avocado over a simple salad with baby greens, but says pea shoots are worth swapping in if you can find them—“the shoots’ vegetal flavor plays well with the other ingredients,” he says. Either way, leave a bottle of hot sauce handy.
“This is an interesting salad that delivers more than expected,” the chef says of his signature preparation, below. “The warm avocado is a surprise against the cool greens, and the spicy pico de gallo gets a sweet note from the corn.” Now, if only we could get our grill marks to look as perfect.
Chef Richard Sandoval’s Grilled Avocado with Baby Greens and Corn Pico de Gallo
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Makes 4 servings
Prep time
30 minutes min.
Cook time
1 hour min.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe but firm Hass avocados, halved lengthwise and pitted, but not peeled
- Canola oil for brushing
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 oz mixed baby greens
- Lime wedges for serving
- For the dressing: 3 tbsp fresh lime juice; ½ tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper; ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- For the corn pico de gallo: 12 oz large tomatoes, seeded and diced into ½ inch; 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion; 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tbsp fresh lime juice; 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped; 1 tsp soy sauce; kosher salt; 1 cup cooked corn, preferably roasted, but canned will work
How to make it