WRITTEN BY: Sabrina Tillman
Part fresh, vibrant salad, part dip loaded with bite-sized vegetables, this chunky guacamole packs fresh, vibrant flavor in every bite. Tex-Mex-inspired ingredients like jalapeno, lime, fresh cilantro, chile pepper, and cumin collide with Mediterranean additions such as salty, briny feta cheese and the sweet burst of cherry tomatoes.
Each fresh or dried flavor accentuates the strengths of the other: Lime and red wine vinegar add brightness and acidity to balance the palate-coating creaminess of the cubed avocado, feta crumbles, and Zero Acre oil.
The dip uses ready-made spice mixes from Trader Joe’s — either Everything But the Elote (a mix of dried chilies, parmesan cheese, and cumin) or Chile Lime (a blend of red bell and chili peppers plus citrus) — but you can make your own seasoning blend in a pinch.
If you can find fresh avocados and cherry tomatoes year-round, this dip can act as the “vegetable” at your Game Day party or team sport tailgate. If not, tuck this one in your back pocket for the days when avocados are plentiful and you can find fresh limes aplenty.
Ingredients
2 large avocados
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 small jalapeno
2 tbsp. cilantro
2 limes, juiced
1 ½ tbsp. Zero Acre oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Everything But the Elote or Chili Lime seasoning*
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Note: We used Trader Joe’s seasoning blends (we tested both, and they’re both delish!). If you can’t find these seasoning blends, scroll to the section below titled Make Your Own Seasoning Blend.
Instructions
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. Slide a spoon between the skin and the flesh of the avocado halves to detach the skin. Cut the avocado halves into cubes and place in a bowl.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters and place into the bowl with the avocado cubes.
Dice the red onion and jalapeno (leave the stem and seeds if you like spice; if not, remove them), and add them to the bowl.
Chop the fresh cilantro and sprinkle into the bowl.
In a mason jar or bowl, add the lime juice, Zero Acre oil, vinegar, salt, and seasoning blend. Screw the top of the mason jar on top and shake to combine. If using a bowl, whisk the ingredients with a fork until combined. Pour the vinaigrette into the bowl with the other ingredients.
Sprinkle the feta cheese in the bowl. With a rubber spatula, carefully mix the ingredients together. Take care not to mash the avocado too much.
How to Serve Chunky Guacamole Dip
Put a bowl of this in the middle of a big serving platter and pile up crudité, tortilla chips, toasted pita wedges, bagel chips, or plantain chips along the outer ring for a punchy spin on the chips-and-dip party fave.
Make your Chunky Guacamole Dip a side salad by adding diced roasted red bell peppers, fire-roasted corn, and cooked black beans. Serve it as an entree salad by tossing it with chopped romaine lettuce and strips of char-grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu.
Use as an avocado salsa to spoon on top of tacos, fajitas, low-carb steak or pork lettuce wraps, or piled on top of quesadilla wedges. This also jazzes up everyday grilled or baked fish, chicken thighs, or pork loin when served as a side.
Tips for Finding Ripe Avocados
We like hass avocados (black skin and emerald flesh) for this dip, but you can use any type you like as long as they’re ripe. An avocado is ripe when it’s slightly soft to the touch, but not mushy. You should be able to remove the stem easily when an avocado is at its peak.
If you can’t find ripe avocados at the store, buy them underripe and place them in a brown bag with another piece of fruit. Fold the top of the brown bag to close the top. The gas the produce emits will encourage the avocado to ripen. Check the avocados each day to see if they’re ripe.
Make Your Own Seasoning Blend
If you can’t find Trader Joe’s Everything But the Elote or Chili Lime seasoning blends, you can make your own. Store the seasoning blends in airtight glass containers or mini mason jars in a cool, dry place. Note: If the seasoning blend contains a perishable item, like cheese, keep it in the refrigerator. Label it with the date you made it; seasoning blends stay fresh for about six to eight months.
To make your own Everything But the Elote blend, combine:
1 tsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. finely grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. chipotle powder
¼ tsp. lime zest
⅛ tsp. dried cilantro
⅛ tsp. cumin powder
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
To make your own Chile Lime blend, combine:
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. lime zest
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container and store in the pantry.
How to Store Leftovers
Place any leftover dip in a storage container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the dip. This will help prevent the avocado from turning brown. Secure the top of the storage container over the plastic wrap. Store the dip in the refrigerator for up to three days.
We don’t recommend freezing this dip. Defrosting the dip would add moisture that would make the dip a watery mess.
Do I Have to Use All Fresh Ingredients?
We recommend using fresh produce, particularly avocados, onions, and tomatoes. In a pinch, you could substitute the fresh cilantro for 1 tsp. dried cilantro and use store-bought lime juice (you can usually find this in the produce or alcohol sections).
You could also use canned chipotle chilis if you can’t find fresh jalapenos; chipotles are just smoked jalapenos that are canned in adobo sauce. Chop the chipotles like you would a fresh jalapeno. You might even find that you prefer the smoky layer of flavor.
Nutritional Information
Servings: 10
Calories: 90
Fat: 8 grams
Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Nutrition information includes 1 tsp. Trader Joe’s Everything But the Elote Seasoning blend. Nutrition info collected from Cronometer.
This delicious recipe was developed and photographed by Courtney Paige.
