Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad

August 22, 2021mayurisjikoni

EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY

THEME: MAIN COURSE ACCOMPANIMENTS

RECIPE: CHERRY TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD

Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad is a very easy, healthy and flavourful salad that comes together in a matter of minutes. A versatile salad, you can use any dressing of your choice. Also can use salad leaves of your choice and add other ingredients.

Recently, at a supermarket I frequent, both baby tomatoes and avocados were on offer. Yes, here in Canada am learning to look out for offers and some of them are pretty good.. get 2 for the price of one, 2 or 3 will cost less than if you buy one at a time. Such offers are a rarity in Kenya.

With heat warnings and hot summers, I prefer to cook a quick meal and am out of the kitchen as quickly as possible.

Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.

Theme: Main Course Accompaniment

This week Sneha who blogs at Sneha’s Recipes, suggested that we make main course accompaniments. I’ve made a simple tomato, avocado and cucumber salad that I served with a pasta dish. As, one accompaniment that goes well with any cuisine is a good healthy salad.

What Are Accompaniments?

In relation to food an accompaniment is something we eat or drink with another food. So it can be a dip, sauce, chutney to starters, fruits to cereals, wine to a main meal, breads and flatbreads for a curry, coulis, custard, ice cream to a dessert, etc. As per the theme it has to be an accompaniment to a main course.

Depending on the type of cuisine, the accompaniment can vary. For an Indian Meal, an accompaniment can be raita, a yogurt based dish that usually is enjoyed with biryani or as a side dish. Yogurt based drinks, chaas are considered an accompaniment and so are salads, pickles, chutneys. Usually vegetable dishes, whether with a sauce or dry are considered as a part of the main meal. Rice and flatbreads are accompaniments unless of course you’re serving a pulao or biryani as a main dish.

Some Accompaniments That Fellow Bloggers Served Up With The Main Meal:

Broccoli Rice Casserole by Making Miracles
Garlic & Paprika Roasted Cauliflower by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Roasted Veggie Couscous by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Matar Bharay Patties by Sneha’s Recipe
Cherry Tomato and Avocado Salad by Mayuri’s Jikoni
Creamy Macaroni Salad by Palatable Pastime
Nasturtium Leaves & Stems Raita (Yogurt Dip)
(Using Nasturtium Leaves & Stems by Cook with Renu

Some More Accompaniments You May Want To Check Out:

GARLIC PARMESAN HASSELBACK POTATOES

Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes, so crispy from the outside, the middle is tender and soft like mashed potato.

Check out this recipe

MIRCHI KA SALAN

Mirchi Ka Salan, is a slightly spicy, creamy and tangy curry that is usually served with biryani or any other rice dish. It also can be served with any Indian Flatbread like roti, paratha, naan. Mirchi Ka Salan is one of the popular traditional Hyderabadi dishes.

Check out this recipe

FETA OLIVE AND BASIL BREAD

Feta, Olive and Basil Bread is a homemade bread which is stuffed with feta, olives and basil. Superbly delicious, goes well with a hearty salad or soup. Makes a good bread to carry for lunch, picnics or even when you're travelling.

Check out this recipe

GREEK SALAD/HORIATIKI SALAD

Greek Salad/Horiatiki Salad is insanely an easy, super delicious and flavourful salad to put together. With homemade Greek Dressing and feta cheese, it makes a refreshingly light meal.

Check out this recipe

MAHAMRI/MANDAZI

Mahamri is basically like a doughnut but it is flavoured with coconut and cardamom powder. Doughnuts are ring shaped, but Mahamri is usually triangular in shape or sometimes round. Generally mahamri is enjoyed as a breakfast item on its own with tea or coffee or with mbaazi (pronounced as mmmbaaazi). Mbaazi is soaked pigeon peas cooked in coconut milk.

Check out this recipe

BANANA CUCUMBER RAITA

Banana Cucumber Raita is a delicious, creamy, spicy yogurt based accompaniment that is usually served with an Indian Meal.

Check out this recipe

FRESH TURMERIC CHAAS

Fresh Turmeric Chaas is a refreshing yogurt drink with grated fresh turmeric added to it. It is healthy, immunity boosting and delicious.

Check out this recipe

FRESH TUVAR/LILVA KACHORI

Spicy fresh green pigeon peas stuffed in a crispy and flaky pastry. Famous Gujarati snack, ideal as a tea time treat.

Check out this recipe

For Some Delicious Indian Flatbreads which can accompany any meal click on the link:

Indian Flatbreads

A Bit More About Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad

The recipe given below is a rough guideline. You can add other ingredients like radish, carrots, corn, etc. Add any cheese like cheddar, feta or goats cheese if your wish. How about some spring onion, fresh herbs, of your choice. Every time I make this salad it usually is a bit different, depending on what I add.

This recipe was first published on 16/07/2012. While the recipe remains the same, I’ve updated the photos and the write up.

Share your version with me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and tag me.

Ingredients Required For Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad:

Tomatoes – the small tomatoes either cherry or plums. Also known as snacking tomatoes, they tend to be sweeter than the normal tomatoes. Use any which you get. Wash and wipe the tomatoes. Cut them into halves.
Avocado – use an avocado that is not too ripe as you don’t want a mushy salad. Peel the avocado and cut into chunks.
Cucumber – I’ve added cucumber as it is healthy and cooling especially during the hot season. I’ve used English Cucumber, so didn’t peel it. Cut it into chunks.
Salad Leaves – any of your choice. Mixed, arugula, ice berg lettuce, romaine, etc. Tear up the big leaves into bite size pieces.
Lemon Juice – to drizzle over the avocado. Drizzling lemon juice over the avocado prevents it from turning brown.

Salad Dressing – can use either any good quality ready made salad dressing or make it at home. If you want to make it at home then you will need the following ingredients:

Olive Oil – use good quality virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar/ Lemon Juice – use any of your choice. Can use other good quality vinegars of your choice.
Honey/ Maple Syrup – for a vegan version use maple syrup.
Salt – any type of your choice
Black Pepper – coarsely ground
Mustard Seeds – dry toast them lightly. When the seeds cool down, crush them with a rolling pin. Or you can use any mustard paste of your choice.
Finely Chopped Onion – use red, white or yellow. Make sure it is finely chopped.
Garlic – one clove is enough, peel and mince it. Don’t use too much garlic as you don’t want it to overpower the other flavours.