Avocado Pineapple and Red Onion Salad
This salad is interesting and a bit different. You wouldn't necessarily bet on pineapple and red onion as a duet but it works! It is an excellent accompaniment with barbecued food, nut burgers, patties and more. The ingredients remind me a lot of Africa (Kenya and Uganda especially) because that's where you will find an abundance of avocados, red onion and pineapple. The best pineapple I ever tasted in my life was actually in Uganda. The salad is very healthy, because avocados are packed with goodness and their fat content (high in mono-unsaturated fats) and oleic acid keep our cholesterol in check and provide us with potassium which is important for our blood pressure regulation. They also include fibre, folate and more healthy stuff. Pineapples are very good for your stomach, containing bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. It also includes Thiamin, vitamin C and Manganese. Red onions are packed with antioxidants and also have vitamin C and other good stuff. The salad looks like sunshine in a bowl and therefore promotes good mental health (at least it works for me!).
A nice combination of texture, flavour and colour
This recipe is:
- Egg free
- Gluten free
- Lactose (dairy) free
- Nut free
- Vegan
Avocado Pineapple and Red Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (red), chopped finely (and soaked for 30 minutes)
- One quarter pineapple, cut into cubes
- 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
- 1 avocado, ripe but firm, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- Pinch of salt (Himalaya or sea salt)
- Pinch of pepper (black)
Preparation
- Peel and chop the onion finely. Place in a small bowl and fill with water. Allow to sit in the water for 30 minutes. If you like strong taste of onion you can skip the water.
- Meanwhile cut the stalky top and the base off the pineapple and discard these. Now stand the pineapple upright on its base and, using a sharp knife, cut away the skin in long strips, working your way all round the fruit. Cut pineapple in 4 pieces lengthwise and cut the hard middle part away as well. Chop one quarter of the pineapple into cubes (larger than sugar cubes).
- Chop the basil leaves coarsely.
- Drain the onion and discard the soaking water.
- Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Gently twist the two halves in opposite direction if you find the flesh clinging to the pit. Remove the pit, either with a spoon or by spearing with the tip of a knife. Place the halves face down, then peel. Chop the avacado into cubes.
- Place chopped onion, pineapple and avocado in a large bowl.
- Toss ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper into the salad.
- Add the chopped basil leaves.
- Serve immediately since the avocado will quickly discolour. You can also cover the salad with cling film.
Tips
- You don't need to soak the onion, however I find that if you do, the onion will turn out a little sweeter and not as bitter as unsoaked.