Grilled Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Times are good when tomatoes are in season.


I wanted to try something new, and this recipe hit the spot. The pesto and pine nuts really add a nice twist. The original recipe from Michael Chiarello called for sprinkling shredded Parmiggian-Reggiano over the salad before serving. I had some fresh buffalo mozzarella on hand, so I used that on hand. I think it would also be good with crumbled feta or even queso blanco.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and halved
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 T red onion, diced
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 T pesto
• 1 T pine nuts
• Olive oil
• Cheese for topping (fresh parm, mozzarella, or feta)

1. Preheat grill to medium.

2. Drizzle avocados with olive oil and place on grill pit-opening side down for 30-45 seconds.

3. Place tomatoes on platter and top with avocados. Drizzle with more oil.

4. In a small bowl, mix the red onion, lemon juice and a little olive oil. Spoon onion into avocado cavities then drizzle the dish with the remaining lemon juice/olive oil mixture.

5. Drizzle dish with pesto and pine nuts. Top with cheese.