Move Over Mayo, Hello Avocado
Aug 10, 2017
Ever notice how many cold pasta or potato salads use heavy mayonnaise as a base – Yes delicious, but sometimes it’s nice to have a lighter version on occasion.
If you are looking for a healthier macaroni salad to make this summer then skip the mayo and say hello to avocados!!
Not only is this salad made healthier by using avocado, which contains heart healthy monounsaturated fats, but it boosts your fiber intake by a whopping 8gm per serving coming from the whole wheat pasta!
The fresh herbs really compliment the flavors combined with the fresh squeezed lemon juice – I promise if you like avocados you will love this salad!
Avocado Macaroni Summer Salad
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes Number of Servings: 8
Ingredients:
- 3 cups dried whole wheat blend macaroni
- 3 large ripe, California avocados, peeled and seeded
- ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh basil, packed extra chopped for garnishing
- ¼ cup fresh mint, packed extra chopped for garnishing
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 small clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (or frozen and thawed)
Directions:
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions
- While pasta is cooking, place an avocado half in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the yogurt, basil, mint, olive oil, two-thirds of the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper and process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Cool completely. Stir the dressing into the pasta until well combined. Meanwhile, cut the remaining avocados into 3/4-inch dice. Gently stir into the pasta with the tomatoes, corn and the remaining lemon juice.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with the additional chopped herbs, and serve.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories: 320 Total Fat: 15gm Total Carbohydrates: 42gm Fiber: 8gm Total Sugars: 4gm
Protein: 10gm Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 140mg
Recipe courtesy of California Avocado Commission; Liz Weiss, MS, RD & Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD Meal Makeover Moms (Copyright © 2013)
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