Equal parts dip, salsa and salad. Avocado and cherry tomato 'corn chip topper' features:
- cubes of creamy avocado
- pops of fresh tomato
- zingy lime juice
- low hum of chili heat
- fresh coriander/cilantro
How can something this yummy be healthy too? It’s seriously addictive!
I couldn’t decide whether to call this a dip, salsa or salad. I decided it was none of those things. Avocado and cherry tomato corn chip topper describes how my family eats this most of the time. The crunch of corn chips used to scoop it up (no utensils needed) adds the perfect textural contrast. This is such a bright and colourful recipe. It also happens to be vegan and gluten-free.
Whenever I’ve served this to friends and family, someone always ask for the recipe. It’s best made fresh, so they’ve usually watched me make it. Get the ingredients out, chop them all up (sipping your cocktail as you go 😉) and toss gently to combine. It’s the kind of low stress chopping job you can do when people arrive and serve fresh as a substantial nibble. Did you know that the healthy fats in avocado help to absorb alcohol? Handy because margarita cocktails go really well with this, just saying….
Although I’ve called this a ‘corn chip topper’, you can enjoy it plenty of other ways:
- goes with eggs and bacon for breakfast
- serve with grilled meat for a light lunch
- in Mexican inspired meals, such as tacos or fajitas
- scattered over Twice-Baked Potatoes
🔑Keys to success
🥑🥑GOOD avocados – honestly, don’t bother if they’re too hard, or soft or stringy. Avocados are the Goldilocks of fruits. Buy extra. Avocados be like ‘not yet’.....’not yet’….’not yet’….’not yet’…..’EAT ME NOW!!’…’too late’. Check out my comprehensive Avocado FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section below.
Make fresh – this is a casual recipe to throw together just before serving. Got guests coming over? A little mindless chopping interrupted every so often to take a sip of margarita is quite nice😊 If you make this too far in advance, it tends to get a bit soggy and watery on account of the salt and tomatoes.
Chop the ingredients small – it looks prettier and (more importantly), it will be easier to load onto corn chips.
🥘 Ingredients
Avocados – the undoubted hero of this recipe. Read the avocado FAQ below for help using the best you can.
Cherry tomatoes – I know that cutting little tomatoes into littler pieces is a faff. Cherry tomatoes are important for this recipe because, being small, there’s a higher skin to flesh ratio. They’re less watery and hold their shape better.
Jalapeno – provides ‘fresh’ heat. We chop it finely to easily disperse the chili heat through the topper. Grating frozen jalapeno chilies is even easier (and reduces waste). It's easy to add a touch more if you like more heat. You won’t use a whole one. A small amount goes a long way.
Chives –adds a mild onion flavour. Easy to prep, no tears and the little rings created by cutting through the stems look cute.
Salt – lifts the flavour of all foods, sweet and savoury. Salt brings tomatoes and avocados alive.
Coriander/Cilantro – adds some colour, freshness and Mexican vibes. If you’re one of those (strange) people who can’t abide it, swap with fresh parsley instead.
❓Avocado FAQ
You should be able to flick the stem off with ease (in the ‘belly button’ part) if it hasn’t already fallen off. When you gently press around the stem area, the flesh should yield slightly. Does it drive you mad when you see people picking up avos in the supermarket, squeezing them and putting them back? 😡
Put the avocado in a paper bag with a ripe banana at room temperature. The banana gives off a chemical that speeds up the ripening process.
Store at room temperature if not quite ripe yet. Store in the fridge if ripe but you’re not ready to use it yet. It will slow down the ripening process and buy you an extra couple of days.
(Photo 1) Use a sharp knife to cut in half from top to bottom (rather than around the belly). The big wooden-looking stone will be in one half. Scoop out the stone with a spoon or (not recommended but widely done) impale with the blade of a sharp knife and twist out. Please be careful!
(Photo 2) Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh in one piece and lay on a cutting board with domed side up.
(Photo 3 and 4) Make parallel cuts from the base upwards, keeping the cuts the same distance apart.
(Photo 5) Make vertical cuts from top to bottom, the same distance apart.
(Photo 6) Cut across these lines to cut the avocado into cubes. If the avocados available to you brown quickly, toss the cubes gently in the lime juice as soon as possible after cutting.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 perfectly ripe avocados
- 4 Tablespoons lime juice roughly two limes
- 10 g chives
- 2 handfuls coriander leaves
- approx. ⅓ jalapeno chilli
- 400 g cherry tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Avocados - chop into small cubes. Transfer to a bowl large enough to take all the ingredients and be able to gently toss them together.2 perfectly ripe avocados
- Lime Juice - add and gently toss the avocado to coat.4 Tablespoons lime juice
- Chives - finely chop into thin rounds.10 g chives
- Coriander – finely chop.2 handfuls coriander leaves
- Jalapeno - finely chop, or grate on a zester if frozen.approx. ⅓ jalapeno chilli
- Cherry Tomatoes – cut into small pieces - quarters or eighths depending on their size.400 g cherry tomatoes
- Coriander & Salt – shake over. Toss everything together gently using a flexible spatula. Tip into a serving bowl.½ teaspoon ground coriander½ teaspoon salt
Comments