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Though they are popular as the base for mashing into guacamole, avocados are so much more than a dip for your tortilla chips. Whole slices are great on top of salads, and you can mash, spread, or chop it for pizza, sandwiches, tortas, and even desserts. There are several ways to use them in plant-based dishes. Check out these seven ways to use avocados in the summer.
Veggie Sushi
Sushi fans know that the go-to veggie sushi option is the simple cucumber avocado roll, which any sushi restaurant is bound to have on the menu. Avocados work well to chop and roll into sushi rolls and summer rolls. Try putting avocado in these Fresh Veggie Summer Rolls with Spicy Garlic Peanut Sauce, these veggie sushi rolls and this raw carrot sushi.
Salad
With their hearty taste and creamy texture, avocados are excellent to chop up and throw on top of a salad. Avocados help give some textural balance to all of the crunch in those veggies. Plus, they provide healthy fat; a ½ cup serving of slices avocado provides 10.5 grams of fat and 5 grams of dietary fiber. Use them in this Mesquite Avocado Kale Salad,this Raw Healthy Asian Carrot Avocado Salad, this Avocado Kale Chili Salad and this Spicy Asian Cucumber Avocado Onion Salad.
Raw Soup
Because of their creamy texture, avocados work well to puree into cold, raw soups for summer. Try this Raw Carrot Avocado Soup and this Raw Peas, Mint, and Avocado Soup. As a finishing touch, top your soup with raw avocado slices. Delicious, creamy, filling, healthy and refreshing — a raw avocado soup has several benefits.
Grilled
On a warm summer night, fire up your grill and prepare to grill avocados. Coat each half of the flesh side of the avocado with a little olive oil. Place the avocados, flesh side down on the grill and grill until warmed through and slightly charred. If you don’t want to start the grill, roast the avocados in the oven instead.
Sandwiches
Avocado slices hold up well between two slices of bread, making them a nice choice for sandwiches. Pair avocado slices with hummus, carrot, cucumber, avocado and alfalfa sprouts in this Vegan Humdinger sandwich. Also, try these Avocado and Black Bean Tortas. You can even put them in the middle of an epic vegan grilled cheese sandwich.
Cupcake
After you’ve tasted the several different savory ways to enjoy avocados, change courses and try them in a sweet recipe. In these gluten-free, low sugar Chocolate Cupcakes with Avocado-Mint Icing, you may have a hard time tasting avocado so much as chocolate goodness. Since the icing has a fun green color, these treats are great to make and eat with the kids.
Brownie
Avocados are the secret ingredient in these Ultimate Vegan Brownies. Remember when pureeing the avocado for the brownie filling, make sure there are no lumps. You want a smooth, fudgy chocolate center.
Lead image source: Avocados: Health Benefits, Tips and Recipes
Maria Brandt
Tiffany Alexander
Yummy..