Home >Recipes >Grilled Avocado and Tomato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Serves: 8

• For the dressing:
• 2 medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp powdered ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), optional
• 2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• For the salad:
• 10 vine ripened tomatoes, quartered
• 4 avocados, peeled, halved, and pitted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted light brown in the oven

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 minute

Make the dressing: In a food processor, combine the avocados, basil, tarragon, parsley, garlic and ascorbic acid. Process until very smooth. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper, and process until well mixed. While the motor is running, add the olive oil. If necessary, add enough cold water to create a pourable dressing. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

Cover a large platter with tomato quarters, and set aside.

Place avocado halves in a bowl and drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil, juice of one of the lemons, salt and pepper. Place each half, flat side down, on a hot open grill for about 30 to 45 seconds. Cook on the flat side only. When well caramelized, remove and place on top of the plated tomatoes.

In another bowl, squeeze the other lemon over the sliced red onion and mix well. Add the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place onions in the empty avocado pit holes. Spoon the remaining lemon/olive oil mixture over avocados and onions. Top with green goddess dressing, distributing generously on all sides. Sprinkle pine nuts on top.