Guacamole is one of those recipes I never decided to make, because… well, it intimidated me a bit.
Over the years I’ve thought about trying it various times. Each time I searched for the recipe online, and each time I gave up on the idea, because there are so many recipes out there, and I always had a thousand doubts about which was the best one to follow. And I especially wondered: should the original recipe be spicy or not? Because when you search for the original guacamole recipe, you find many that include chili peppers, but also many that do not. I even found one with pepper instead of chili. And I truly don’t know what the truth is, meaning the true original recipe. So much so that I’ve also come to the thought that maybe there isn’t just one original version, and that for guacamole, there might be the same kind of local rivalry as there is here for piadina, where not only does each area have its version, but almost every family has its version, and woe to anyone who touches our recipe, because only ours is the true and original one (!). Perhaps, guacamole works the same way. 😀
When I finally go to Mexico (hopefully!!!), I will surely discover the truth and finally be able to give you my final verdict!
Until then – and don’t worry if I ever do go to Mexico, I’ll inform you! – I make guacamole like this, as I’m telling you today in this recipe of mine, where, to be honest, I haven’t invented anything but have combined a little of all the recipes I’ve seen and reviewed, read and reread everywhere over the years, from the web to cookbooks to magazines that I invariably read when… eheh… I go to the hairdresser! (a very useful source of culinary ideas and inspirations, I assure you!) 😀
Among the many, I’ll leave you this link, from which I took inspiration for the making of the bread baskets in which I last served my guacamole. This experiment, the edible bowls, which I had never tried before and – beginner’s luck! – succeeded on the first try!
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I’m in love with Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, here are links to other recipes I’ve tried (including an American recipe, also spicy and flavorful): 😉👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1 ripe tomato (or 2 depending on size, or some cherry tomatoes)
- 1 onion (small or half, if large)
- Half chili pepper (preferably fresh, if available)
- Half lemon (juice)
Tools
- Mortar
- Spoon
Steps
Prepare the ingredients by first cutting the tomato and onion into pieces.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop out the flesh using a spoon.
Drizzle the flesh with the lemon juice. It’s essential, because avocado oxidizes very quickly, turning from its beautiful green to a dull gray in no time.
👉 One thing I’m sure about the original recipe is that lime should be used instead of lemon. I don’t know about you but I don’t usually buy lime, a habit I must change!
Transfer all the ingredients into the mortar, not forgetting the chili, and quickly mash them until the avocado flesh has turned into a cream. The other ingredients (i.e., tomato and onion) can remain in coarser pieces.
👉 If you don’t have a mortar, you can mash everything with a fork. I wouldn’t recommend a blender, unless used briefly to keep the mixture coarse.
Serve the guacamole immediately, bringing it to the table directly in the mortar or pouring it into a bowl from which each guest will serve themselves.
Or you can serve it in individual bowls (ideal are small bowls for dipping).
If you want to try my edible bowls… click on the link below or on the picture to access the recipe: 😉
How to make bread (or shortcrust) baskets
👉 If not consumed immediately, guacamole can be stored in the fridge by drizzling it with lemon juice and covering it with plastic wrap to prevent oxidation from air exposure.
Whether you make the bread bowls or not, it’s always indispensable to serve the guacamole with an assortment of croutons, slices of bread, fresh or toasted, crackers, or breadsticks (you can make both with the dough from the baskets). Or with the typical, classic, characteristic tortilla chips.
Sooner or later the day will come when I will try making corn chips at home, they won’t escape me! In the meantime… I allow packaged chips for my kids, while my husband and I prefer to eat guacamole with breadsticks, crackers, and… edible individual baskets. 😉
Enjoy!
Salt-Free Tips
As you know, I cook without added salt.
Remember that packaged tortilla chips are very salty, so keep that in mind if you’re on a low-sodium diet and possibly replace them with low-sodium crackers or breadsticks, or you can make them at home without salt, like these:
Homemade Breadsticks (in 3 versions)
Crackers, Sticks, Crazy Dough Sheets
Do not miss my usual salt-free tips!
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Gradually reduce salt, your palate needs to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my vegetable granule without salt and gomasio
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally break the rules. It’s good for morale and helps perseverance.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes, salting according to your habits.
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