3 Ways to Make Really Good Guacamole

Avocados are a staple ingredient in my kitchen, and I like to use them in everything from smoothies to pudding to salad dressing, but my favourite application is to turn them into guacamole.

This Mexican-inspired dip is my favourite, and we rarely have a party or casual Friday night at home where these isn’t a bowl of guac somewhere within easy reach. It’s something every home cook should know how to make, and one that kids can easily whip up themselves. When we think of teaching our kids how to reach for healthy snacks, we often default to fresh fruit, veggie sticks or something from a package. But knowing how to make guacamole empowers them to take their healthy snacking in a bigger, more flavourful direction.

When it comes to making guacamole, I think of it as a three-step process. Step 1 makes a basic guacamole that everyone will enjoy. It’s simple and requires just three ingredients, one of which is salt. Step 2 is what I like to call ‘flavour-boosted guacamole’ and it boasts the addition of finely chopped cilantro and minced red onion. The quantities I use are geared to my tastes, but you can easily tweak them to suit your own. Step 3 brings us to ‘next-level guacamole’ or the kind that calls for the addition of non-traditional yet totally interesting ingredients. I rarely dabble in this type of creation, mostly because years of recipe testing have taught me that I’m pretty much a purist when it comes to how I like my guacamole. However, the additions I’ve listed below are ones I have tried experimenting with, or at the very least seen on a restaurant menu.

My two-year-old has become an expert at making the basic guacamole. I put the ingredients in a bowl and he uses a pastry cutter to mash them together. This tool is so much easier than a fork or spoon and allows you to easily control how smooth or chunky you want the finished dip to be.

Here’s how to make really good guacamole:

Basic Guacamole

3 avocados, halved, pitted and flesh separated from skin
Juice from 1 lime
Salt, to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mash until guacamole reaches the desired consistency.

Flavour-Boosted Guacamole

3 avocados, halved, pitted and flesh separated from skin
Juice from 1 lime
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons minced red onion

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mash until guacamole reaches the desired consistency.

Next-Level Guacamole

Add any of the following ingredients to give your guacamole a next-level flavour boost:

Chopped tomato
Minced jalapeno
Chopped mango
Crumbled bacon
Pomegranate arils
Black beans and corn kernels
Chopped pineapple and minced jalapeno
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Fresh peas and mint