Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole
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The cookbook Truly Mexican has, count them, eight recipes for guacamole. Eight! If that’s not enough to get your blood pumping, then I don’t know what is. Pineapple seems to be on sale everywhere, and I’m a huge fan of fresh pineapple, so I was especially excited about the pineapple and cucumber guacamole.
The only caveat is that I think I may be slightly allergic to pineapple. It has only recently occurred to me that maybe it’s not normal that I break into a sweat and my face feels like it’s on fire whenever I eat it. Pineapple isn’t the only fruit that has that effect – grapefruit, cranberries, and the occasional orange also make my face feel like an inferno – but pineapple is the most distressing.
My two earliest food memories come from the fantastic day care center that I went to as a little kid: black beans and rice and fresh pineapple. Both of those foods made my day, no matter what toy dispute had gone on earlier. A single bite of pineapple and all my worries were forgotten. Nowadays, I have trouble approaching a pineapple without anticipating the incredible burning sensation in my face that will inevitably follow, but it doesn’t stop me from eating it (usually). I just can’t resist the fresh, sweet, tang of fresh pineapple.
It’s that sweet tang that makes this guacamole so lively and bright, while the cucumber adds a calming and refreshing crispness. And it’s a good thing that the pineapple and cucumber are so cool and refreshing, because this guacamole packs some major punch! The recipe calls for two whole serrano peppers, including the ribs and the seeds, which are often discarded because they’re so much spicier than the rest of the pepper. We cut back on the serranos (just used one and a half) and wow, it still had quite a kick. But the quiet star of the show is the avocado which brings it all together in one delightful creamy, chunky, and exhilarating new take on guacamole. If that’s not refreshing, I don’t know what is.
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Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole
Adapted from Truly Mexican: Essential Recipe and Techniques for Authentic Mexican Cooking
If you're not looking for a whole lot of spice, use jalapeños which are milder than serranos. If you really want to keep it mild, remove the seeds and ribs of the chilis first. We used 1 1/2 serranos with the ribs and seeds and found that sufficiently spicy for our taste.
Because of the high acidity from the pineapple, this guacamole won't discolor as quickly as other guacamoles, so there's no need to worry about making this ahead. Press some plastic wrap against the surface and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Let it come to room temperature before you serve it.
Looking for a more traditional guacamole? This one is pretty amazing if I do say so myself.
Ingredients
- 1 (10 ounce) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (½ inch)
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1-2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, minced, including seeds, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, or 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 large or 4 small ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
Directions
- In a large bowl, stir together the cucumber, onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a cross-hatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon into the bowl and gently stir together - do NOT mash. Stir in half the cilantro and the pineapple. Season to taste with additional chile, lime juice, and salt. Transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top.