by Lena S.
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A&M's Testing Notes:
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2
medium ripe Avocados
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5
medium sized ripe black plums
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1 cup
chopped fresh cilantro
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1
small clove of garlic
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several pinches
sea salt (I'm on a pink himalayan salt phase myself)
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1
medium lemon
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a few glugs of olive oil
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1
dried red chili pepper
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Peel the black plums and cut into cubes (worth the task of peeling!).
Ask the hotline about this step!Peel the avocado and cut into cubes.
Ask the hotline about this step!Gently place the black plum and avocado chunks into a dish -- be careful not to mix too much, otherwise the avocado mushes all over. Squeeze with lemon and sprinkle in a couple pinches of sea salt. Do not mix.
Ask the hotline about this step!In a mortar and pestle, smash up the garlic clove with a little salt. Add the red chili pepper and continue crushing (should still be in big messy chunks). Add the cilantro and continue to mash until the ingredients are combined. Drizzle in the olive oil (1/4 to 1/2 cup) to make the dressing, mashing well.
Ask the hotline about this step!Drizzle the dressing with a spoon over the plums and avocado. Salt to taste.
Ask the hotline about this step!Let the salad sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soak in a bit and then enjoy.
Ask the hotline about this step!I added blue cheese to this and it was phenomenal. My cheese guy looked at me funny and I was like, trust me. Plums avos and blu di bufala. YUM!
I agree with another commenter about using less oil. With 1/4 cup the olive oil flavor was very strong and there was a pool of it, mixed with juices, at the bottom of the bowl. Otherwise, this was amazing!
Jed, I made it last week and it kept well for at least two days in the fridge, and then it was gone. We made sure the dressing got all over the avocado, and didn't notice any terrible discoloration. However it was so yummy that no one would have cared!
This was one of my favorite salads last summer. We had a house party-reunion this weekend and I made this last night as a side dish to some grilled pork tenderloins. Everyone, and I mean everyone, just raved about this salad. They loved how it looked and tasted. Everyone wanted the recipe! Thanks for making me look good!
I must say I wasn't sure how this would turn out, mixing avocados and plums seemed weird.
It turned out AMAZING ! I haven't had anyhing that flavourful in a long time, thank you !
HOwever, I cut down on the oil, I think 1/4 cup is enough, maybe even too much
Thank you again
Glad you liked it! You can definitely cut down on the oil as you prefer and adjust the lemon and chili to your taste!
It's so good!
Just made this for lunch. Absolutely delicious. My plums were a mixture of varieties and ripeness, and that produced a rather lovely mix of textures, some bites a bit crunchier, some softer & sweeter. I will be making this again for sure!!
Great! I have tried it both with more tart firm plums and also with super soft sweet ripened plums and it works both ways! A mix sounds divine.
Excellent recipe
Nicely done. I made this a couple nights ago as a salsa for swordfish. Didn't bother peeling the plums and diced a jalapeno pepper into the mix instead of the dried chili. I had considered adding some fish sauce but it really did not need it. Result was really excellent - highly recommend it.
I just made this for the second time this week. I just love this recipe. Congrats on creating such a wonderful salad and congrats on being the runner-up this week. I'm sure we're going to see lots of other wonderful recipes from you!
i made this tonight and thought it was incredible! thanks so much for sharing the recipe- i'll make it again and again!
This was delicious - thanks so much for posting this recipe. Plums, cilantro and avocado are all favorites of mine so I will be making this again.
I loved this recipe!!
Thanks for sharing your recipe and congrats on being "the" runner-up in this contest!
Congratulations on such a wonderful salad so rich in simple contrasts, so refreshing, and at the same time so healthy. Being the "runner up" is a kind of win, in and of itself, too!
Hi - Thanks - and agreed - even runner up is a wonderful thing!
mmmmm....this was fabulous! We thoroughly enjoyed this salad and were so impressed by the chef's clever combination of flavours! A well thought out and beautiful recipe! Thank you Lena S!!
I made this tonight to rave reviews. I think that mashing the garlic with the cilantro and the oil in a pestle is critical, rather than simply chopping them, since mashing them blends the flavors into something that really complements the plums and avocados.Tom is right; this is the reason why this blog is so great; you stumble upon little gems like this recipe which are innovative, simple and delicious. I don't manage to impress my mother in law too often but tonight, with Lena's inspired recipe and very little effort, I did. Thank you, Lena S., you got my vote!
I'm so happy to hear it was a crowd pleaser!! There is nothing like finally tickling the taste buds of a tough audience member!
I agree - mashing seems like an extra step - but it changes everything and smoothes out the flavors.
Blatantly biased praise from your cousin! Even though I don't care for cilantro, the pairing of plums and avocado is inspired and visually appealing. Perhaps we could substitute mint and parsley?? I also appreciate the ease of assembly (!). I second The Good Cook's comment - you're gonna win for sure!!!
Thanks! Mint or parsley - why not? This dish is definitely for those cilantro lovers out there - but I'm sure you could try it out with some other herbs if cilantro isn't your cup of tea.
Every time I look at I get hungry!!!
Hi All - I'm so pleased to have made it to the finals this week! I made this salad for a family reunion last weekend and it was enjoyed by all.
Made both finalists last night. Both were yummy, but this was really something special. I still don't really understand what exactly it is about this combination that makes it work so beautifully. It was astonishingly delicious.
Holy smokes! So creative and delicious-sounding! I simply can't wait to get back home next week and make this. Congratulations!
Your gonna win for sure!!!
I made this tonight for dinner too. What an absolutely wonderful dish. So easy, such a surprising combination of flavors, so perfect. Like a party on the plate and in the mouth.
I made this tonight and it is exactly the reason why I like food52. I had my reservations but I trust Merrill and Amanda's eye for great recipes and they did not fail me. It is absolutely delicious. Lena whatever method you have to your madness it works here.
Thanks Thanks Thanks! I will try to keep the madness alive in the coming months and if I can manage to document it all - then we are on to something.
Yum! Avocado! Mmmm.....fresh summer plums....mmm - looking forward to trying this recipe on the weekend! :o)
YUM! Avocado, plum and cilantro are three of my favorites, although I have never put them together. I will now - thanks for the fabulous recipe. Congratulations on being a finalist!
Congratulations! This sounds very interesting! What about subbing a little fresh jalapeno for the dried chili? I have tons in my garden right now.
I've done this with peaches. Plums looks great too!
Fascinating combo -- have all the ingredients in the fridge and hope to try this weekend.
All the best, this recipe looks amazing!
Would never have thought to put these flavors together - congratulations on being a finalist!
Wow, this sounds fabulous!
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We love this serrated peeler for tomatoes, asparagus, peaches and -- you guessed it -- plums!
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Amanda uses her favorite mortar and pestle to make a paste of garlic and coarse salt.
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And then the dried chili goes right in!
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Synchronized smiles!
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Amanda defies the laws of physics with the speed of her chopping.
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The cilantro gets added to the mix too.
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And then the olive oil. This mortar and pestle holds more than you might think!
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A golden pile of chopped plums.
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You want the plum and avocado chunks to be roughly the same size.
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Don't be shy with the lemon juice!
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Nor with the addictive cilantro-garlic-chili paste.
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Just made this for dinner. Used several different types of plums and served it over a bed of arugula. Wonderful! Agree with others -- doesn't need as much oil, I used less than 1/4 cup.