Authentic Guacamole

Let every day be Cinco de Mayo.

Time to read: 3 mins | Time to make: 5 min | Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped, divided

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh serrano or jalapeno chili, including seeds, or more to taste*

• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/2 small vine-ripened tomato

• 1 large ripe avocado, halved and pitted

• A squeeze of lime, if desired

• Sprinkle of cumin powder

Serving:

• Corn tortilla chips

• Veggies like carrot, cucumber, radish, jicama

Method

1. Mash 1 tablespoon of onion, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, chili, and salt to a paste in a molcajete or other mortar.

2. If you don't have a mortar or molcajete, mince vegetables, add salt, and mash them into a paste by pressing with a knife or fork. Transfer the paste to a bowl.

3. Cut the tomato in half horizontally, squeeze out the juice and seeds and discard. Chop pulp, and add it to the bowl.

4. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, cutting around the pit. Gently twist the top half of the avocado off to separate the halves. Remove the pit by striking it with a knife and twisting it out. Slice the avocado halves lengthwise, then crosswise, to form small squares. Scoop it out with a spoon into the bowl.

5. Toss well with the paste, then add the remaining onion, cilantro, cumin, and mash very coarsely with a pestle or a fork. Optionally, season to taste with lime juice and additional chili and salt.

6. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or veggies.

Notes

• Lime: Some recipes claim to add lime to guacamole is not recommended as the acidity of lime overpowers the deliciousness of avocado - I agree to an extent which is why I add just a tiny squeeze to balance our flavors.

• Chili: What chili you choose to put and how much depends on how much heat you can handle. We like our guac hot. If adding chili, don't remove the seeds. Mexicans never do that, and we are keeping it authentic. Keep the seeds, but adjust the amount of chili in the recipe since they are the spiciest part.

• Avocado: Make sure your avocado is ripe. I rarely find perfectly ripe avocados in stores. They are usually harder and take at least a day or two to become perfectly ripe. Just keep this in mind as you plan your dinner.

• Tomato: It makes a great addition to guac for its health benefits and taste. Even if you’re not a fan, your tomatoes-less guac will still taste like a million bucks.

Nutrition facts, per serving:

Energy: 92kcal | Carbs: 6 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 6 g