A crisp Colombian-style chopped salad of tomato, avocado and hearts of palm dressed simply with lime and cracked black pepper.
Colombian salads tend to be straightforward and bright — diced tomato, avocado, onion and whatever crisp vegetable is on hand, dressed with lime juice, oil and salt to cut through richer mains like bandeja paisa or fried meats. Hearts of palm (palmito), genuinely common in Colombian cooking especially in Amazonian and Pacific regions, adds a tender, slightly briny crunch that fits naturally alongside the tomato and avocado here, and a generous crack of black pepper at the end gives the whole bowl a peppery lift that plain salt alone doesn't. The technique is entirely about knife work and timing: everything is diced to a similar bite-sized size so the textures come together in each forkful, and the salad is dressed only minutes before serving so the tomato doesn't go watery and the avocado stays in clean cubes rather than breaking down into the dressing. This is a simple, refreshing side dish meant to sit alongside heavier Colombian mains — not a composed restaurant salad, but the kind of fast, practical dish that rounds out a home-cooked plate.
Serves 4
Dice tomatoes and avocado into roughly even 1.5cm pieces. Slice hearts of palm into rounds and thinly slice the red onion.
Place sliced red onion in a small bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to mellow its sharpness, then drain well.
Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, gently toss tomatoes, hearts of palm and drained onion together first.
Pour the dressing over and toss gently, then fold in the avocado last so it stays in clean cubes rather than mashing into the salad.
Adding the avocado last and folding gently, rather than tossing hard, is what keeps the cubes intact instead of turning the salad creamy.
Scatter cilantro and an extra crack of black pepper over the top. Serve immediately.
Rinse canned hearts of palm briefly under cold water before using to remove any canning brine flavor.
Salt the diced tomatoes lightly and let them drain in a colander for a few minutes before adding to the salad to avoid excess liquid.
Crack the pepper coarsely rather than using pre-ground — it gives noticeably more aroma and a pleasant textural bite.
Add crumbled queso costeño for a saltier, richer version common on Colombia's Caribbean coast.
Swap hearts of palm for diced cucumber if it's not available, for a similarly crisp, mild crunch.
Add corn kernels for extra sweetness and texture, a common addition in Colombian home salads.
Best eaten the same day it's dressed. If prepping ahead, keep vegetables, hearts of palm, dressing and avocado separate and combine just before serving.
Simple dressed salads with tomato, onion and avocado are a near-universal accompaniment across Colombian home cooking, meant to add brightness and acidity alongside heavier meat and starch-based mains; hearts of palm appears more specifically in dishes from Colombia's Amazonian and Pacific regions, where palm cultivation is part of the local food culture.
Yes, if available — fresh palmito has a slightly firmer texture and more delicate flavor, though canned is far more commonly used in home cooking since fresh is harder to find outside palm-growing regions.
Fresh lemon juice works as a substitute, though it will taste slightly less sharp than the lime traditionally used in Colombian dressings.
This usually happens from tossing too vigorously or dressing the salad too far ahead of time — add the avocado last, fold gently, and serve within about 15-20 minutes of dressing.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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