Aside from their delicious, buttery and earthy flavor, avocados give us many healthy reasons to eat them. These recipes take full advantage of this seasonal fruit's taste and nutritional benefits to give you delicious snacks, appetizers and entrées. From cool and zesty recipes like our Ceviche-Stuffed Avocados to light and hearty Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp, you'll find a tasty dish to keep you full and satisfied through summer.
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Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp
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Cut some carbs and use spiralized zucchini in place of noodles in this zesty pesto pasta dish recipe. Top with Cajun-seasoned shrimp to complete this quick and easy dinner.
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Spaghetti Squash & Chicken with Avocado Pesto
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Give pesto pasta a healthy makeover with this easy recipe that combines low-carb spaghetti squash with high-protein chicken breast. Top this powerhouse combo with homemade basil pesto that gets a creamy upgrade from ripe avocados to complete a mouthwatering chicken dinner.
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Guacamole Chicken
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This sautéed chicken breast recipe topped with melty cheese and creamy guacamole is your ticket to a superfast and satisfying family dinner. Round out this healthy meal with Spanish rice (or cauliflower rice to keep it grain-free).
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Ceviche-Stuffed Avocados
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Rather than serving this easy mock shrimp ceviche with chips or tortillas, cut some carbs and pile the citrusy seafood in fresh avocado bowls for a fun and healthy presentation.
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The Last Avocado Toast Recipe You'll Ever Need
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This is the easiest—and the last—avocado toast recipe you'll ever need to know. Memorize the recipe, then use it as a jumping off point for your favorite avocado toast riffs. Put an egg on it, top it with tuna salad or crown it with fluffy alfalfa sprouts for a healthy and satisfying meal. You can mix up the toppings too—we love Japanese furikake or everything bagel seasoning.
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Avocado & Corn Salad
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In this fresh summer salad recipe, sweet corn and honey balance nicely with tomatoes, avocado and lime juice. Bring it along to your next summer picnic or pair it with grilled shrimp or chicken for an easy weeknight meal.
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Baked Fish Tacos with Avocado
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Instead of deep-frying, the fish fillets in this quick-and-easy 5-ingredient recipe are coated with a flavorful seasoning blend and baked. Several varieties of flaky white fish can be used for these tacos. When you go to the market to purchase fish, the best strategy is to be flexible and choose the variety that looks freshest that day.
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Orange & Avocado Salad
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This colorful salad would be a welcome addition to a Mexican-inspired meal.
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Creamy Cilantro-Avocado Dressing
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Use this tangy, creamy cilantro-avocado dressing on a salad of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes and black beans, with crumbled tortilla chips or toasted pine nuts on top.
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Avocado-Yogurt Dip
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Update your guacamole recipe by adding protein-packed yogurt to make a healthy dip recipe. For an extra kick, add minced jalapeño or your favorite hot sauce for some zing! Serve this healthy dip recipe with crunchy vegetables, pita chips or pretzels, or use as a sandwich spread.
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Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad
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This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days.
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Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch
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This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken.
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Loaded Baked Avocados
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Avocado stands in for potato in this low-carb version of a baked potato! Sour cream, Cheddar cheese and bacon, combined with fresh chives and a sprinkle of pepper, make this a comforting treat.
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Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad
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Serve this colorful, veggie-packed pasta salad at your next outdoor gathering. From creamy avocado to crunchy bell peppers, this pasta salad is full of texture and flavor. A homemade herb-lime vinaigrette ties everything together.
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Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
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Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables round out this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.
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Shrimp & Avocado Salad
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Peppery fresh radishes complement sweet shrimp and creamy avocado in this quick salad. Enjoy this healthy salad as a quick light dinner or for lunch.
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Mango & Avocado Salad
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In this mango-avocado salad, the sweet, bright mango works beautifully with the creamy, rich avocado. There is just a touch of heat from the chile-lime seasoning; if you want to kick it up a notch, add a thinly sliced habanero to the mix.
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Chipotle-Cheddar Broiled Avocado Halves
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In this avocado side-dish recipe, zesty avocado halves are topped with melted Cheddar cheese and broiled until golden brown. You can serve these healthy avocado halves as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak.
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Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli
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Creamy avocados are a delicious foil to crunchy breading in this healthy oven-fried avocado fries recipe. Dip into spicy Sriracha dipping sauce for a flavor explosion. Save your ripe avocados for guacamole or toast—only firm ones will do when making these fries.
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Avocado Toast with Burrata
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Burrata (cream-filled fresh mozzarella cheese) takes this avocado toast recipe to the next level for a decadent, yet weekday-friendly breakfast.
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Avocado Egg Salad
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This quick recipe takes classic egg salad to the next level with the addition of creamy avocado. Serve it on a piece of toasted whole-grain bread or inside a tender lettuce leaf. Avocados brown quickly, so plan on making it no more than two hours before you plan to serve it.
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Crunchy Summer Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
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Remember back when dousing some iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing was considered healthy? We know better now, but a lackluster vinaigrette makes us want to skip the salad altogether. Without the buttermilk and mayo, is it even worth it? This dressing, made with creamy avocado and tangy umeboshi vinegar, will show you the possibilities. You can make it as-is or substitute whatever herbs you have on hand: parsley, basil and cilantro are all great options. The salad itself is a colorful, texture-rich antidote to the stereotypical boring salad, and it's also customizable. Here we use a base of romaine because it's crunchy and sturdy enough to stand up to a creamy dressing, but you can use kale, mixed greens or any blend of greens your heart (and fridge) desires. Same for the add-ins: You can sub in green beans for the asparagus, use black beans instead of chickpeas, or mix in additional veggies you have available like cucumber or shredded carrots. If you want to get extra fancy with it, try grilling the corn for an added smoky flavor. While this salad can be eaten as a side, it's strong enough to star as the entree.
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Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad
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The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing.
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Taco Stuffed Avocados
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Here we ditch the taco shell and use a hollowed-out avocado to hold a spicy turkey and black bean taco filling. The flesh of the avocado gets mashed with lime juice and cilantro for a quick and easy guacamole topping.
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No-Cook Black Bean Salad
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The dressing for this vegan black bean salad gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
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Avocado Caprese Salad
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This avocado caprese salad has all the flavors of a classic caprese salad with the addition of creamy avocado. The sweet and tangy balsamic dressing pulls everything together, with fresh basil adding a refreshing pop of color. Add capers for an even bigger flavor.
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Black Bean-Avocado Torta
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A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it's filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich. Serve with: Grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice.
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Quinoa Avocado Salad
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Protein-packed quinoa pairs with creamy avocado in this refreshing grain salad. It's the perfect make-ahead side dish to bring on a picnic or take to a potluck. Or pack it for lunch or enjoy it as a light dinner.
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Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches
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Lighten up classic egg salad by swapping in creamy avocado instead of using mayonnaise. Sandwich it between toasted whole-wheat bread and you've got an easy, packable lunch ready for work or school.
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Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad
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This vibrant cucumber, tomato and avocado salad is perfect for BBQs and backyard parties. The dressing is whisked together right in the salad bowl before you add the vegetables, so it's also incredibly easy to make. Choose a fairly firm avocado so it holds its shape in the salad.
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Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
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Avocado makes an exceptionally creamy and healthful dressing for this chicken salad. A bit of ranch dressing with pickled jalapeño adds a tangy spin to the lunchtime classic. Serve it on a slice of whole-wheat toast for an open-face sandwich or in a lettuce cup for a low-carb lunch.
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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
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Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.
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Greek Salad with Avocado
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Avocado adds a creamy texture to this Greek-inspired salad. It's perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner and is ready in only 20 minutes. Enjoy it on its own, serve it alongside grilled steak or burgers, or top it off with slices of grilled chicken to make it a meal.
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Spinach-Avocado Smoothie
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This healthy green smoothie gets super creamy from the frozen banana and avocado. Make ahead (up to 1 day) and store it in the fridge until you need a veggie boost.
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Avocado Pesto
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Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe.
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Cucumber & Avocado Salad
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This healthy cucumber-avocado salad takes just five minutes to prep. Lime juice and fresh herbs boost the bright flavors in this crunchy and creamy salad that's a perfect side dish for grilled chicken, fish or steak. This recipe calls for an English cucumber, which doesn't have to be peeled, but regular cucumbers work well too--just peel them before slicing.
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Really Green Smoothie
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The combination of kale and avocado makes this healthy smoothie recipe extra green. Chia seeds lend a heart-healthy punch of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
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Big Beautiful Summer Salad
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This gorgeous and healthy summer vegetable salad is loaded with pretty produce, including golden beets, avocado, corn, microgreens and radishes. Chickpeas and edamame add substance, and an herb-filled buttermilk-avocado dressing makes this salad really special. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian meal or add grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Avocado-Bun Turkey Sliders
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Instead of being served on traditional buns, these turkey sliders are sandwiched inside mini avocados for a clever (and low-carb) meal--because why put avocado on your burger when you can put your burger on an avocado? Quick pickled onions are a pretty and tasty topping, and chipotle mayo seals the deal. Bonus: The burgers are cooked on a baking sheet, so it's easy to whip up a whole batch.