Ensalada de Aguacate y Tomate

On the Cuban table, this simple raw salad of ripe avocado and tomato dressed with olive oil, lime, and garlic appears at nearly every major meal. It is less a recipe than a ritual — the cooling counterpoint to the heat of rice and beans, the rich braise, the fried plantain. Its beauty is in the quality of its few ingredients and the restraint of its seasoning.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and sliced into wedges
• 3 ripe tomatoes (about 400g / 14 oz), sliced into rounds
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced into rings
• 2 tbsp (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp (30ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, very finely minced or grated
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh oregano or flat-leaf parsley leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. Arrange tomato slices on a large plate or shallow platter. Layer avocado wedges over and between the tomato slices. Scatter red onion rings on top.

2. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the salad.

3. Scatter fresh oregano or parsley leaves over the top. Serve immediately at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Cook's Notes: This salad waits for no one — avocado oxidises quickly once cut, so dress and serve right away. In Cuba, the avocados used are often large Caribbean varieties with a lighter, more watery flesh than the Hass avocado; adjust lime juice to taste. A pinch of dried oregano rubbed between the palms before sprinkling is a traditional Cuban touch.