Avocado Aioli

Until very recently, I never bought avocados. They were shipped from too great a distance, and with so many environmental and social issues surrounding the production in the Americas, I went years without buying them.

Now we can get them directly from farmers in Spain, so I buy a bulk box (4 kilos) every once in a while when they’re in season. They ripen at home and then keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, so it works out well. It’s about 2000km, but that’s the distance from BC to Manitoba, and we considered BC fruit to be ‘local’ when we lived there.

This avocado aioli is a staple while the fruit is in season, because it has so many uses. I love mayonnaise but can never get through a whole batch, so this is a great substitution – and it’s a delicious vegan alternative, too.

Ingredients

• Avocado: ripe and average sized. A little bigger or smaller won’t make a difference for this recipe.
• Olive Oil: I always use olive oil, even in egg-based mayonnaise. It adds a very slight bitterness that plays well off the creamy avocado.
• Mustard: Dijon if you have it, but any mustard other than yellow hotdog mustard will be fine.
• Garlic: this is what make it aioli!
• Lemon: zest and juice brighten everything up here.
• Spices: just salt and pepper. Be sure to season with enough salt for your taste.

Method

Add the avocado, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper to a container (or small blender). Mix with an immersion blender until very smooth.

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While blending, very slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture in a steady stream. Continue mixing until the oil is fully incorporated and emulsified into the aioli.

Use immediately or store for up to a day in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes and Substitutions

If you don’t have lemon, lime makes a good substitution! It gives a slight guacamole flavour.

This doesn’t keep particularly well after mixing and is best fresh. It’ll last a day in a sealed container in the refrigerator, but any longer and it starts to discolour.

An immersion blender is easy, but mini food processors also work for this recipe. A full sized blender/processor is a bit too big but can work in a pinch if you really scrape the sides down. Unfortunately it’s not possible to add the oil slowly if using a bullet blender.

If your blender is a bit on the weak side, you can grate the garlic before adding to make sure you don’t end up with unpleasant lumps in the sauce.

Adding the olive oil very slowly is for the same reason as any emulsified sauce – if added too quickly, the sauce will break. A very slow pour will make for the creamiest aioli.

Where to Use Aioli

• Pasta sauce – thin it with some of the pasta water to make a silky sauce
• Sandwich spread, like you would use mayonnaise
• As a dip for naan or other flatbreads
• Mix with chickpeas and vegetables for a quick creamy salad (use this Greek chickpea salad as a base)
• A dressing for potato salad
• As pictured, for dipping potato wedges or raw vegetables

More Sauces and Dips

Simple Marinara Tomato Sauce
Wild Garlic Pesto
Lebanese Hummus
Sweet Potato Lentil Dip
Whole Egg Mayonnaise

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