A simple citrus-marinated Cuban avocado and onion salad, the kind served at nearly every family meal on the island.
Ensalada de aguacate is the salad you'll find on almost every Cuban table, alongside rice, beans and roast pork - thin-sliced avocado and red onion dressed simply with citrus, olive oil and salt. There's no lettuce and no fuss; the whole point is letting ripe avocado and sharp onion speak for themselves, brightened with sour orange or a lime-orange blend that Cuban cooks reach for instead of plain vinegar. The technique is really about timing and slicing: avocado is cut just before serving so it doesn't brown, and the onion is sliced paper-thin and given a short soak in citrus juice to soften its bite. A light hand with the dressing matters - this salad should taste clean and citrusy, not drowned. It's an everyday side, not a composed restaurant salad - meant to sit next to a big pot of rice and beans and cut through the richness of the rest of the meal.
Serves 4
Combine the sliced red onion with the citrus juice in a small bowl and let it sit 10 minutes to mellow the sharp bite.
Just before serving, slice the avocados and arrange them on a platter so they don't have time to brown.
Cutting avocado ahead of time and letting it sit is the main reason this salad turns brown and unappetizing - do this step last.
Drain the onions from the citrus juice (reserve the liquid), scatter them over the avocado, then drizzle with the reserved citrus juice and olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately.
Use avocados that yield to gentle pressure but aren't mushy - overripe avocado turns this salad into mush instead of clean slices.
If sour orange isn't available, mix 2 parts orange juice to 1 part lime juice to approximate the flavor.
Slice the onion with a mandoline if you have one; paper-thin slices soften faster and taste less harsh.
Add thin tomato slices alongside the avocado for the classic 'ensalada de aguacate y tomate' version.
Swap red onion for thinly sliced scallions for a milder bite.
Finish with a few pitted, halved green olives for a briny Cuban touch.
Best eaten immediately. If you must hold it, keep the dressed onions separate from the sliced avocado and combine right before serving to prevent browning.
Simple citrus-dressed avocado salads are a daily fixture of Cuban home cooking, reflecting both the island's abundant avocado harvests and the Spanish habit of dressing vegetables simply with citrus and olive oil rather than heavy sauces.
Not fully - avocado browns quickly once cut. You can slice the onion and mix the dressing ahead, but slice the avocado no more than 15 minutes before serving.
A mix of fresh orange and lime juice gets you close to the same sweet-tart flavor traditional sour orange (naranja agria) provides.
Slice it thinner and give it a longer soak, up to 20 minutes, or rinse it briefly under cold water after soaking to mellow it further.
Per serving (150g / 5.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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