The Perfect Guacamole Recipe- How to Make Your Own in Minutes

What is Guacamole?

Guacamole is a Mexican dip or spread made of a paste of raw avocados, mashed with other ingredients like tomatoes, chilies, onions, and spices.

Guacamole gets its green color from avocados, and its textured flavor comes from onions and tomatoes. It is a perfect party snack and a favorite side dish in Mexican restaurants.

The dip is extremely healthy, with most of its health benefits derived from its avocado base. Avocados are rich in Vitamins C, K, E, B6, B2, B3, and B5 and in fiber and healthy fats.

This thick, zesty dip also contains minerals like potassium and magnesium thanks to avocados. It is linked to several health benefits, including higher immunity, weight loss, better vision, and it helps guard against heart ailments, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and cancer.

A Brief History of Your Favorite Dip

The origin of guacamole can be traced to Central America's Aztec empire of the 1500s. Avocados were extremely popular among the Aztecs, who cherished their avocado mixture, which they called 'ahuaca-mulli'.

This delicious Aztec treat also appealed to the Spanish conquerors, who added newer ingredients like cilantro, lime juice, and onions to avocados, chilis, and tomatoes.

The Spaniards, however, could not pronounce the name of this dip, and soon started calling it 'guacamole'. The new name stuck. (Despite their fondness for the dip, the Spaniards were unable to grow avocados in their homeland.)

In the United States, guacamole was uncommon for a large part of the 20th century, owing to the ban on avocado imports from Mexico, from 1914 to 1997. Mexican avocados were banned in the US after the American authorities identified seed weevils infesting Mexican orchards.

After the ban was lifted, guacamole started growing in popularity in the US. This, in fact, corresponded with an increase in the population of Hispanics in America. The population of the US rose by 18.9 million between 2010 and 2019, with Hispanics counting for over half (52%) this number.

The Perfect Guacamole Recipe

Let's look at an authentic homemade guacamole recipe, which doesn't take more than 10 minutes to prep. It's one of the best guacamole recipes around, and is sure to add zest to your next potluck or party.

The avocados that you choose for this recipe should neither be too soft nor too firm. Squeeze them gently to confirm this before you buy them from the store. However, firmer avocados are okay if you're not going to make guacamole immediately.

As far as Food Nutrition is concerned, the nutritional value and health benefits of avocados have been discussed in an earlier section. This particular guacamole recipe will give you 79kcal of calories, 5g of fat, 5g of carbohydrates, and 1g of protein per serving (2 tablespoons).

Ingredients + Steps for Guacamole

Ingredients-

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 finely chopped jalapeno
• 1/4 finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons of lime juice
• 1-2 finely chopped tomatoes

1. Peel the avocados and remove the core.
2. Mash the avocados till they reach the desired consistency.
3. Add onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and tomatoes and mix thoroughly.
4. Add salt and lime juice.

How to Jazz up Your Guacamole

You can jazz up your guacamole with the following ingredients-

1. Green peas- This ingredient adds a chunky texture and sweetness to the guacamole. Green peas also help delay the browning of guacamole. Simply blanch the green peas, turn them into a puree, and add to the dip. Some whole peas can also be added for garnishing.

2. Feta cheese- This is a Greek white brined cheese that is made from sheep's milk or a combination of goat and sheep's milk. It gives the guacamole a chewy texture and an intense flavor. Feta cheese is usually quite salty on its own, and if you are going to use feta cheese, use less salt in the base recipe.

3. Jalapenos- This Mexican pepper gives the guacamole a spicy kick and a pleasant texture. The jalapenos can be charred before adding them to the guacamole, giving the dip a smokier flavor.

4. Chorizo- This pork sausage from the Iberian Peninsula, when added to guacamole, produces a hearty dip that goes splendidly with tortillas or chips. Much like feta cheese, chorizo also contains a high amount of salt, so, it's better to reduce the salt quantity in the base recipe when using it. Allow the chorizo to cool slightly before adding it to the guacamole to ensure that the dip doesn't brown quickly.

What to Pair Your Guacamole With

1. Chips and salsa- This Side Dish goes well with guacamole. Chips and salsa bring out the flavor of guacamole beautifully. They are the perfect accompaniment to burritos and tacos.

2. Baked potatoes- Serving baked potatoes with guacamole makes for a filling meal. Tacos served for dinner work well with baked potatoes.

3. Cilantro lime rice- This dish, paired with guacamole, produces a great contrast in flavors, with lime juice and cilantro enhancing the dip. A small amount of hot sauce is sometimes added to the guacamole. Adding hot sauce to the cilantro lime rice too will help balance the heat.

4. Cheese bread- It pairs perfectly with Mexican dishes because they use the same ingredients, namely red onion, cilantro, beans, lime juice, and cheese. Some cilantro can be sprinkled on your cheese bread and served with guacamole.

5. Corn tortillas- As with the case of cheese bread and guacamole, corn tortilla triangles and guacamole are a great pairing, because of the similar ingredients used. Both, fried tortilla chips and guacamole have red onion, lime juice, and cilantro.

6. Potatoes Au Gratin- It provides a contrast in flavor with guacamole. The tender potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese of this dish complement the creamy and smooth flavor of the guacamole.

7. Vegetable patties- A variety of beans and vegetables can be used to make these patties. Guacamole added on top of the patties will bring out the flavor of the vegetables and produce a splendid creamy flavor.

How to Store Your Guacamole

Ideally, you should consume your guacamole right after you have made it. Its main ingredient, avocados, oxidize and become brown pretty quickly. They are like apples in this respect. You can, however, delay the browning process by adding lime juice.

The best way to preserve guacamole and keep it green is to ensure that it is kept away from air. Transfer the guacamole to a container, cover it with plastic wrap, and press the plastic wrap down to squeeze air pockets out. After placing the guacamole in the storage container and patting it down, add half an inch of cold water on top. Close the container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. When you need to use the guacamole, drain the water, and stir the dip to make it ready for consumption.

Properly-stored guacamole can be held in the refrigerator for three days at the most. It can also be prepared a few hours ahead if you are getting ready for a party. If the stored guacamole, however, does get discolored, scrape off and discard the brown portions, or stir into the remaining dip before serving.