Cuban Pineapple Avocado Salad

It’s avocado season in South Florida and Hurricane Irma (not so kindly) hand picked about 300 avocados from our neighbor’s trees last week. Although she left us without power and potable water for several days, she spared us avocado cannonballs and for that, I am very grateful. Growing up in South Florida and having lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina (a story for another day), I am no stranger to hurricanes. For those still recovering from Harvey and Irma, I hear you.

Every Fall down here, we find ourselves in a happy predicament – an avocado surplus. Our neighborhood trees are bursting with them. While we don’t have an avocado tree in our yard, we always end up with our fair share this time of year. It’s not unusual to see neighbors offering and sometimes begging one another to take home boxes full. After all, we value our avocados and hate to see them go to waste. Just yesterday, we came home to two large bagfuls left on our doorstep by a secret avocado gifter. I was excited at first, and then I remembered the three other bags we already had in our kitchen. It’s hard to sympathize with me, I know. But, a predicament it still is. I mean, how much guac can one person eat. Do Northerners have these issues with apples and pears? I plan on donating many to a local food bank and keeping enough to satisfy our avocado cravings for a while.

My first instinct was to google how to freeze them, although I suspected it was a bad idea. Through my research, I found that freezing them whole does not work as it changes their texture into something totally undesirable once defrosted. But, I also found a few sites that swear by mashing the avocado with a bit of lime or lemon juice and freezing it that way for later use as guacamole, sauce, dressing, etc. That could work! I can do that with about half of them. Now, what to do with the other 20?

I have big plans people: avocado hummus, avocado salad dressing, creamy avocado pasta sauce, avocado soup, avocado on toast, avocado fries, and that ever popular Pinterest favorite – avocado egg boat (you know the one). But, for now…Cuban Pineapple Avocado Salad.

I love this salad…my favorite way to eat avocado. It is often found in Cuban restaurants and cookbooks and is very simple. The tangy sweetness of the pineapple  pairs perfectly with the mild avocado. This citrus-based dressing is delicious and really brightens all the flavors, but you could use any vinaigrette you like. If you’re not a fan of raw onion (like me), you can leave it out or use it to flavor the dressing and then pick it out at serving time.

Florida avocados have smooth, green skin and can grow quite large to about the size of a small melon. They are different in texture and flavor to the California Haas avocado, which is smaller with dark, bumpy skin when ripe and is available year round. The Haas avocado flesh has a smooth, buttery texture and a richer flavor. This is because it contains more monounsaturated fats, the heart-healthy fats, making it creamy and perfect for guacamole or spreading on toast. The Florida avocado’s flesh, although still delicious, is more firm and fruity. It contains less oil and fat, so some creaminess is lost. But, this makes it perfect for salads or garnishes when you want avocado pieces to hold their shape once cut. Honestly, guacamole made with these is still pretty great and you could add a bit of olive oil or avocado oil for a creamier consistency if you want, although I never do.

On to the pineapple – there is a weekend farmers market just a few blocks away from my house and they always have great tropical produce, so I used a fresh pineapple here, but you can use canned too. You will use about half of a whole one for this salad. I had been itching to use this amazing new tool that I specifically bought for cutting and coring pineapples. I’m not usually one to buy gadgets that have just one purpose, but I couldn’t resist since they are my favorite fruit and it was under $10. It is so fun and easy to use. Now I want to cut ALL the pineapples. I peeled, cored, and sliced it in about one minute (see video). You could also check the produce section at your local store for pre-sliced or cubed pineapple, which is a great time saver too.

 

This salad works great with any avocado variety. It’s a refreshing start to any meal and also very nice paired with pork, fish or seafood. If you’ve never tried this combo, I invite you to jump on the pineapple avocado bandwagon by making this bright and tasty salad.

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