Do you know anyone who is “meh” about avocados? I put the fruit into the same category as romcoms: You either love them or hate them. Very few fall on the fence. Over the last 10 years, thanks in no small part to hipsters embracing avocado toast, they’ve surged in popularity.
Most of the avocados we eat in the U.S. come from Mexico – last year, we imported over 1 million metric tons.
Here’s another fun fact. Avocados have a secret superpower: the ability to turn foods like decadent chocolate brownies, extra-creamy plant-based pesto pasta, and, yes, even chocolate mousse, into health-boosting, nutrient-rich foods.
Why Avocados Deserve Superfood Status
- fiber (lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer),
- potassium (reduces fluid retention, blood pressure, and sore muscles),
- folates (especially important for pregnant women and children),
- vitamins K, E, C, and B6 (regulate blood and circulation of calcium throughout the body, boost immune system)
- antioxidants (help rid the body of toxins), and
- healthy fats (protect against the detrimental effects of saturated fats in meat, dairy, and eggs).
6 Versatile Avocado Recipes to Make Right Now
Easy Guilt-Free Brownies: In less than 1/2 hour, you can enjoy a chocolatey, warm, plant-based brownie — with no nuts, dairy, or refined sugar. The recipe can easily be made gluten-free. Gooey comfort + No guilt = Perfect dessert.
Avocado Chocolate Mousse: The folks who publish Serious Eats are pros at creating recipes with creative, intuitively unlikely food combinations, and explaining “why they work.” When I read the headline, “The secret to ultra-creamy and smooth chocolate mousse? Ripe avocados,” I paid attention. Then, I made it. You should, too.
Chickpea Avocado Hummus Dip: A nutritionist once told me that hummus on any raw veggie — carrot sticks, celery, etc. — is the perfect snack, mainly because it’s loaded with fiber. What she didn’t tell me is that adding an avocado ups the fiber even more, and tastes even better. Combining the key ingredients of hummus and guacamole creates the perfect party dip, or, in my case, a pre-dinner snack that mercifully wards off the “hangries.”
Avocado Salad Dressing: True confession: I stopped buying jarred salad dressing over twenty years ago. Once I learned to make a simple vinaigrette, I no longer had the tolerance for dressing that came from a bottle. Too many scary-sounding, processed ingredients. Now, I always keep a jar of my own homemade dressing in the fridge. I switch them up, and over the years, I’ve learned that the more delicious the dressing, the more salad I eat, which is a good thing. This one can be made in 5 minutes; make it thick if you’re putting it on sturdy leaves like kale, or thin it out with water if you’re using more delicate leaves like arugula. Either way, I promise it will have you looking forward to eating your greens!
Buckwheat Kale Noodle Bowl with Avocado Miso Dressing: This gluten-free, nutrient-rich, flavorful bowl is deceptively simple. Throw the dressing ingredients (avocado, garlic, light miso, olive oil, lime juice) into a blender while the noodles boil, ribbon a small bunch of kale (spinach or chard will work, too), and in 20 minutes you have a satisfying, good-for-you weeknight dinner.
15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta: Basically a simple, creamy pesto — sans nuts. Use any kind of noodle in your pantry, and if you have broccoli or cauliflower in your fridge, add it to the boiling water when your pasta is just about done. Astute readers of Good News Veg know that I’m wild about pesto; it was a pleasant surprise to learn I could turn that ripe avocado in my fruit bowl into my favorite food.
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