Avocado Tabbouylen

Avocado Tabbouleh

Kyleigh West Total Time: 50 minutes (20 minutes prep time, 30 minutes chill time) Servings: 4 side salads

This recipe is great for a spring or summer day and is filled with fresh herbs and ingredients. This salad is tart and refreshing and is perfect as a side or as an entree. It’s easy to prepare and requires no oven or stove. The most difficult step can be slicing the vegetables, take your time cutting the ingredients, and remind yourself that not all of the pieces need to be uniform or perfect. As well, cutting an onion can be daunting. Cut the stem and root of the onion, and place the onion flat onto the cutting board. Cut the onion in half again, and lay flat on the cutting board. This makes it easier to slice the onion. It is recommended that you chill the salad to fully allow the flavors to soak in; however, if you are in a rush, it can be eaten immediately. This salad is a Mediterranean dish, inspired by tabbouleh. It has the main ingredients of tabbouleh like tomatoes, parsley, mint, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice; however, instead of including a grain it is substituted with avocados.

2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper A pinch of cumin 1 bunch of parsley 2 cups of cherry tomatoes 1 English cucumber ¼ cup red onion 2 garlic cloves 2 small ripe avocados Feta cheese for garnish 8 mint leaves

Equipment:

Chefs knife Cutting board Measuring spoons Measuring cups Lemon juicer Tongs Small bowls for ingredients Medium size bowl Large mixing bowl

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7. photo by: Karen Vandervort On a large cutting board with a chef knife, slice cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the cucumbers into ¼ inch slices then halve. Chop the red onion into 1/3 inch slices. Finely chop the 2 cloves of garlic. Finely chop parsley. Finely chop the mint leaves. Squeeze fresh lemon, separate seeds if they get into the juice. To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper, cumin, and half of the mint leaves in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix well, and set aside. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, parsley, and the other half of the mint leaves in a large mixing bowl and toss. Add the dressing into the large mixing bowl with the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, and parsley toss together. Mix well making sure to coat all of the vegetables. Recommended: Place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to fully allow flavors to soak in. Slice the avocados, and add them to the salad. Garnish with feta cheese. Enjoy!