Almost daily Michael and I tell the boys about how different their food experience is from our own childhood, even though they don’t really believe us. I grew up in the Midwest and never even saw an avocado, let alone tasted one, until I was an adult. Now they are a regular part of our family’s diet. I stir them into soups, add them to omelets, make guacamole, smoothies, salsas, sauces, and dips. Avocados are so healthy, and my family loves them.
Of course I had hopes of trying to grow my own, even though the climate here is all wrong for avocados. A girl can dream, right? Some girls want fancy clothes, shoes, or jewelry; I want avocado trees. I tried anyway, hoping they would give me avocados someday, but I eventually learned that avocados in containers generally don’t produce fruit. So my two experimental 7-foot avocado trees went away during one of our many moves.
As I dished up this avocado and Greek yogurt dip for our grilled burgers, Michael and Hockey Guy were right there with fingers in the dip, going on about how good it tasted. The avocado flavor comes first, then the tangy Greek yogurt, followed by the cilantro and lime. I use low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt for this dip because of that delicious tangy flavor and the rich mousse-like texture the mixture has after blending. It works well as a dip or a spread, and tastes fabulous on grilled meat sandwiches.
Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt is a good choice for those with lactose intolerance because it contains a small amount of lactose, only 4 grams of lactose per 6-ounce serving. And mixing it with other ingredients, such as the avocado, and serving with grilled meats and other solid foods and the live active cultures in the yogurt aid digestion of lactose. It all works together. Plus Greek yogurt is a good source of high-quality protein.
Recipe Notes
Pick the best Hass avocado you can find. It should have nice dark skin and feel just a little bit soft if you give it a gentle squeeze. If you can’t find any ripe and ready, choose one that’s not ripe–it will have bright green skin and a firm texture–and leave it out on the counter for a couple days to ripen.
Avocado and Greek Yogurt Dip
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 Hass avocado (pitted and sliced)
- ½ cup low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 large lime (juiced)
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- pinch ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
Preparation
- Put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spoon into a bowl and chill until ready to use. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Nutrition
More Recipes with Avocados
[Disclosure: I am an ambassador for the National Dairy Council Beyond Lactose Intolerance awareness campaign.]
Germaine says
Looks lovely! Can't wait to try it!
Andrea says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
kellypea says
I'd have never thought of using yogurt with avocados but I think the tang in the yogurt would go quite nicely. I'd probably slather this on a sandwich or omelet, too!
Rosemaryandthegoat says
I liked this. A little tangy and next time I may add twice the avocado.