Avocado Pesto Salad

This recipe was in part inspired by a request from my fiancee. She was eating a pesto pasta salad and enjoyed it so much a request was put in to make something similar. Whilst I could have used shop bought pesto which in times of need I do. I decided to play around to find one with a lower oil content. A little research took me into the land of avocado pestos. There seemed to be endless versions. So after trying a few different ones I played around with ingredients and amounts and came up with this version that is oil-less. I could have it on anything but here I give you my Avocado Pesto Salad.

The first time I truly appreciated pesto was whilst I was working on board a cruise ship. The company I worked for was Italian and they could certainly make a fantastic pesto pasta. There my love affair with pesto began. I love pesto on a pizza, pasta, chicken or in this case with prawns in a salad. You could, of course, use the pesto from this recipe as you would any other green pesto.

I enjoy salads that have a mixture of textures as well as a different temperatures. The rocket and pesto is room temperature whilst the broccoli and prawns are nice and hot. This keeps every mouthful interesting and makes me come back for more. I believe a secret to a successful salad is variety, without it you really can feel like your chomping away endlessly. This feels like it has plenty of variety and looks so delicious with the pink prawns lying proudly on top of a blanket made up of different shades of green.

This feels very light and summery but also leaves you feeling satisfied. Light meals should not make you feel deprived of food. Quite the opposite with salads you can usually eat a bigger quantity as the calorie count is lower. What you must be aware of though is the salad dressings. This is where the calories hide. Often people are surprised by the amount of calories in dressings but remember that 1 tbsp of Olive Oil contains 119 calories.

This Avocado Pesto Salad is one of those meals you can throw together in less than 15 minutes. I love quick recipes for when I get in and am ravenous. Or the odd occasion when cooking seems like too much of a chore. We all have those days no matter how much we enjoy it. Salads are great quick meals and often are low calorie, meaning there’s plenty of room for dessert without any feelings of guilt – not that I suffer from these feelings but I’ve heard some do. I believe there aren’t any ‘bad’ foods or ‘good’ foods only food. So long as you are eating a balanced and nutritious diet then there is room for the odd treat.

Find more salad inspiration here:
Pea, Potato & Ham Salad
Crispy Kale & Sweet Potato Salad
Loaded Hummus

I’d love to hear what you think of this Avocado Pesto in the comments below. How will you use it? Will you try this Avocado Pesto Salad? If you try it share your pictures with me on social media. Use #CUBBintheKitchen to be featured in my stories. Happy Eating!

Avocado Pesto Salad

Creamy herby pesto with peppery rocket, fresh broccoli and sweet prawns.

For the Avocado Pesto

• 1 Avocado
• 1 bunch Basil Leaves (Leaves without stalks should weigh 15-20 grams)
• 25 grams Pine Nuts
• 1.5 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 4 tbsp Water

For the Salad

• 90 grams Rocket
• 200 grams Tenderstem Broccoli
• 150 grams Raw King Prawns
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
• Toasted Pine Nuts (Optional)

1. Make the Pesto

   Cut the Avocado in half removed the stone and scoop out the flesh.

   Crush the Garlic Clove

   In a mini chopper or blender add the Avoocado Fresh, Basil Leaves, Pinenuts, Lemon Juice & Garlic Clove and whizz to a thick paste.

   Add in the Water 1 tbsp at a time to achieve the required consistency (You may need more or less depending on the size of your avocado)

   Set aside.

2. Cook the Prawns & Broccoli

   Pan Prep – Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a frying pan.

   Add the Chilli Flakes to the frying pan and let sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the Prawns and fry for 4-5 minutes until pink and cooked through.

   As soon as you add the prawns to the frying pan add the Broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.

3. Plate Up

   Load up the plates with Rocket.

   Drain the Broccoli and place on to of the Rocket.

   Followed by cooked Prawns.

   With a teaspoon add heaps of the Avocado Pesto, a scattering of toasted Pine Nuts (if using) and Enjoy.

Leftovers Tip

If you have leftovers here there are two excellent uses one is to top a pizza with the pesto then the broccoli and prawns. The rocket can be added after cooking the pizza.
You could also make a fantastic quiche using these leftovers.