Deconstructed Guacamole Salad
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Published May 03, 2023, Updated May 22, 2024
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This deconstructed guacamole salad features avocado, tomatoes and a lime dressing. Serve as a healthy side or top with grilled protein for a meal-sized salad.
Let me start by saying that I love love love guacamole. The one thing I don’t love is eating a bazillion chips. Okay, I do actually enjoy eating a bazillion chips, but usually I feel blah if I eat too many. And let’s be honest, it’s insanely difficult to stop eating chips once you start.
That’s where this guacamole salad comes in.
It’s like deconstructed guacamole. No chips needed so you can feel good about eating it any time you please and don’t have to worry about getting caught in a can’t stop, won’t stop moment with those tortilla chips.
Ingredients Needed
- spring mix – the base of this salad. I like using spring mix but feel free to use your favorite type of green for this recipe. Romaine lettuce, spinach, kale or any type of lettuce would all work well in this salad!
- avocados – look for avocados that give slightly when you press on the flesh. If they’re too firm that means they aren’t ripe yet!
- red onion – adds a little zest, crunch and a ton of flavor to the salad. If raw red onion feels too pungent you can soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10-15 minutes before using. After soaking, just drain and use! This will mellow out the flavor a bit.
- cherry tomatoes – halved for a burst of juicy sweetness with every bite. Substitute roma or grape tomatoes or your favorite variety of tomatoes.
- feta cheese – not traditionally in guacamole, but I love topping this salad with feta cheese. It has some tang and saltiness which pairs nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
- cilantro lime dressing – two key ingredients of guacamole are cilantro and lime so I figured why not make a cilantro lime dressing! It’s made by whisking together olive oil, lime juice, fresh garlic, maple syrup, cilantro, coriander, salt and black pepper.
Don’t Skip the Cilantro Lime Dressing
I must say… the cilantro lime dressing totally makes this salad! It adds the citrus, salty component that all good guacamole has and makes the salad insanely delicious. I could literally eat it every day. If only I had an endless supply of avocados.
What to Serve With Guacamole Salad
This salad is great as a light lunch or side dish with a Mexican-themed meal. It can also work as a healthy meal-sized salad when paired with a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu or tempeh. Here are some ideas on what to serve this salad with:
- Apple cider vinegar chicken or air fryer chicken breast – my go-to grilled chicken recipes that would pair perfectly with this salad.
- Grilled shrimp – this salad would be delicious topped with this grilled shrimp for some protein.
- Blackened salmon – another protein option to top this salad with is this blackened salmon! The spices would pair perfectly with this refreshing and light salad.
- Ground turkey tacos – guacamole salad pairs well with just about any taco recipe!
- Taco zucchini boats – eat even more veggies by pairing these zucchini boats with this guacamole salad.
- Tempeh Taco Salad Meal Prep Bowls – skip half the prep of this bowl and just serve the tempeh taco “meat” with this salad instead!
- Chicken enchiladas – these hearty enchiladas would pair perfectly with this refreshing salad!
How to Store Leftover Guacamole Salad
This deconstructed guacamole salad is best served fresh, but if you have leftovers it should last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Just a note, that the avocado will start to turn brown as it sits.
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep cilantro lime dressing in a separate container or jar. Assemble and dress the salad when ready to serve.
More Healthy Salads to Try
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Hearts of Palm Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Easy Spinach Salad
- Garlicky Kale Salad
- Asian Edamame Salad
- Pear and Beet Salad
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Avocado Salad
More Mexican Favorites
- Healthy Guacamole
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
- Healthy 7-Layer Dip
- Vegan Enchiladas
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Healthy Chicken Tacos
- Ground Turkey Tacos
- Chicken Fajita Quinoa Bowls
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup
Be sure to check out all of the salad recipes as well as the full collection of Mexican recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Deconstructed Guacamole Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups spring mix
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½-1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing into a small jar, starting with ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Shake or whisk until everything is combined. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Divide ingredients for the salad evenly on to four plates, pour dressing over salad, toss and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
LOVED IT! Served as a side for a taco noodle bake I made. Paired well & was something different than a lettuce side salad. I added a tiny amount of onion and garlic powder to the dressing (it’s what I do with guac) and salt/peppered the veggies before adding the dressing. My family enjoyed!
We are 2 adults and 2 small children; plenty leftover. Whirled it in the food processor and sealed it up well. Will eat it as guac/chips tomorrow with leftovers. Next time I will probably go with half now/half the ingredients for later.
WIN-WIN recipe!!!!
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Melody. I love the idea of using the leftovers for guacamole, thanks for sharing!
Interesting recipes. Excited to try them!
Hope you enjoy!
Eating it right this moment! So good! I cit the recipe in half so I could save the ingredients for the next couple days to make fresh again. Thanks girl! I will be trying your other recipes too!
Woo! That makes me so happy to hear, Vittoria! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
This will be on repeat for us this summer! So much great flavor and it was a huge hit for my guacamole-loving kiddos ages 2, 4, and 7. They didn’t even notice the chips were missing.
Woo! That makes me so happy to hear, Alyssa! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!