This Presentation Method Makes Avocado Shine In Any Salad

Not many foods outweigh the vibrant allure of a beautifully curated salad. While presentation is obviously important when you're serving the best salad and salad dressing recipes to friends and family, there's nothing wrong with strategically showcasing your favorite produce, like avocado, on a bed of fresh greens just for yourself. Avocado is a fruit that can easily be incorporated into any salad. However, for this vibrant superfood to shine as the centerpiece of your next meal, careful preparation is key.

To transform avocado into the focal point of your next salad, fan or shingle your fruit for a more aesthetically pleasing dish. Instead of chopping avocado and indirectly allowing this ingredient to become lost in the mix, fanning gives avocado more surface area and may prove more enjoyable to eat. Since the texture of this creamy food differs greatly from other fresh ingredients, evenly sliced avocado grants you the freedom to decide how much to incorporate into each flavorful bite.

According to Healthline, avocado is a solid source of fiber, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals like copper, potassium, and a slew of B vitamins. Therefore, you have enough reason to choose avocado as the main component of your next salad. Following the right slicing technique gives avocado more than enough room to shine.

To ensure the avocado stands tall in your next salad, slice the fruit all the way around and split it in half. Safely slice avocados to avoid the dreaded 'avocado hand' when using your knife to remove pits. When shingling your avocado, you have more than one way to utilize this method. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out avocado flesh from both sides, laying halves flat side down on your cutting board to slice.

Alternatively, place each half of your avocado on the cutting board first. Cut ends from each portion and easily peel back the skin. This technique keeps avocado flesh smooth and clean. Due to avocados' thick and creamy consistency, slicing this fruit without making a mess can be challenging. To avoid slices sticking directly to the blade of your knife, cut fruit on an upright angle as opposed to keeping your knife flat against your cutting board.

Upon making thin, even cuts along each half, use your hand to slightly press and angle avocado slices into one eye-appealing fan. Slide the flat side of your knife under each portion and place it neatly onto the salad. Next to the obvious visually appealing benefits in presentation, fanning or shingling avocado guarantees this bright, creamy fruit comes in more direct contact with your salad dressing of choice. To make the most of this preparation method, there are few taste-worthy tips to remember when building your next avocado-friendly meal.

Whether adding sliced avocado to a strawberry spinach salad or serving this addition atop your own specialized concoction, there are a few crucial factors to consider when using this superfood as a main meal component. First, you want to make sure your avocado is ripe enough to slice and fan. Avocados with darker skin and are firm yet give to a bit of external pressure are solid signs of ripe, ready-to-eat fruit. Next to enjoying perfectly ripe avocado, once sliced, feel free to top this addition with nuts, seeds, or herbs for extra flavor and visual appeal. Since avocado has a sweet, nutty flavor, sprinkle the fruit with salt for a contrasting bite.

To keep your ripened avocado in tip-top shape for a noteworthy presentation, don't slice and shingle portions until your salad is ready to serve. Since avocados contain polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that causes their internal flesh to turn brown when exposed to oxygen, you want to cut your fruit as close to mealtime as possible. To keep avocado extra flavorful and bright green in color, pair fruit with salad dressing that includes citrus juice. Make a simple citrus vinaigrette or a variety that infuses a bit of spice with lemon, orange, shallot, and minced jalapeño. Next to evenly slicing and fanning avocado, with mindful preparation, you're sure to enjoy a deliciously curated and nutritious salad.