If you’re looking for MAX FLAVOR in, like, 30 seconds, this avocado sauce recipe will tickle every single bit of your palate. I talk a lot about flavor on Fearless Fresh, because eating bland, boring food is really demoralizing. (Come on, you know it’s true… it’s like living on nothing but toast for the rest of your life.) Life is short, and those little pops of flavor that make meals worth eating are good for the soul.
A lot of people think that flavor is this unattainable thing, something that’s complicated to figure out. Many of my students tell me their attempts at improving flavor are hit or miss at best. That makes me sad, because there are a few things that will double or triple the flavor of your dish with very little effort.
These tried-and-true techniques work every single time, and they’re easy to learn. I think you just guessed what we’ll be talking about the next few weeks. :)
This avocado sauce recipe is a great example. Not only does it hit almost every mandatory flavor note, it also whips up in less than a minute. As a sauce it’s incredibly flavorful and very flexible, so you can serve it however you like it best — thin, like a sauce, or thick and chunky, like the best guacamole you’ve ever eaten. If you’re serving it in tacos, over enchiladas, or on top of chicken/fish/veggies, blend it to a smooth consistency so that it seeps into every nook and cranny of your dish. If you’re eating it like a dip or serving it on top of bread, leave it chunkier so that it’s easier to eat.
Why is this avocado sauce so flavorful? Well, let’s take a peek at the ingredients list. There are a few guaranteed flavor bombs in this simple recipe:
- Tomatoes for acid/brightness
- Garlic always adds a little spice
- Hot peppers add heat, which keeps things interesting
- Cilantro bring a fresh green flavor to the dish
- Lemon juice is KING when it comes to adding brightness and life to a recipe
- And the most important part… SALT. This is where flavor starts. Without salt, everything else falls flat.
I’ll be talking a bit about salt in the upcoming weeks, and also creating a full lesson on how to salt your food so that it’s perfect. So keep an eye out for that. For now, enjoy this avocado sauce recipe and trust that it will bring a serious explosion of Mexican flavor to whatever you add it to. (Secret: it’s great over rice and chicken for a seriously simple weeknight dinner.)
This avocado sauce recipe is SUPER flavorful and can add a ton of personality to any dish you pour it onto. It can be served in two ways -- thin, like a sauce, or thick and chunky, like the best guacamole you've ever eaten. If you're serving it on tacos or another larger dish, blend the sauce until it's completely smooth. If you're serving it on bread or as a dip, pulse it a few times so that it has a chunky texture.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.
- 2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped (or half a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, with juice)
- 1 large avocado, peeled, seed removed, and flesh chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 whole jalapeño pepper, or red pepper, chopped, seeds removed if you want to tone down the heat (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, (from half a lemon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons water
Toss everything in a blender or small food processor and pulse until it's the texture you like. Personally, I blend it until completely smooth, but if I'm going to scoop it onto bread, I just pulse a few times to leave it a little chunkier so that it's easier to eat. (Like it looks in the photo.)
Taste the sauce and add more lemon juice and salt, if it needs it. Just add a small amount at a time and blend a few seconds, then taste again and add a little more if you prefer.
If you blend it until it's smooth, this sauce should be on the thinner side, like a gravy. Feel free to add water to reach a thinner consistency if you prefer, adding 1 tablespoon at a time and blending between each addition to test.
