Ever since I began studying professional cooking over 20 years ago, I’ve had a dream of opening a small lunch café specializing in soups, salads, and sandwiches. I would make everything by hand, from the sandwich bread to the soup stocks. My life and culinary career have led me down a different path, but now, as a busy father, food writer, and recipe developer, I dream about that café every day, from the cream color of the walls to the rotating menu of farm-fresh ingredients.
The healthy inspiration for this concept cafe came from some of the lunch spots in the small towns in New Hampshire where I was covering as a newspaper reporter fresh out of college. My colleagues and I would swap stories from our region over sandwiches in bustling, cozy restaurants. I still remember one restaurant serving fresh avocado slices as a sandwich topping and blowing my mind. Yes, I’m old enough to remember a time when avocados were not so readily available and avocado toast was still popular for years.
Decades later, I never miss an opportunity to add avocado to my sandwiches, and my daughters, in particular, are crazy about the buttery, green fruit (my oldest insists on mashed avocado on her bagel instead of cream cheese.) The best part about loving avocado is that it has a ton of health benefits, including its incredible anti-inflammatory properties.
Up your sandwich game
Whether mashed with a squeeze of lime juice or sliced long, avocado adds a creamy, nutty, and delicious flavor to any sandwich. I like to keep it simple, slicing an avocado in half onto toasted whole wheat bread and mashing it lightly with a fork to stop it slipping off while eating the sandwich. This is the basic, but very satisfying, avocado toast, but I don’t stop there.
I like to top my sandwich with slices of fresh veggies like red peppers and tomatoes, pickles, crunchy green lettuce, slices of cheese, and lots of hummus for a high-fiber, protein-packed sandwich. The creaminess of avocado makes a great substitute for condiments like mayonnaise, and it adds a buttery, non-greasy texture that perfectly complements the combination of fresh veggies and cheese.
I don’t usually eat much meat, but one of my favorite sandwiches is the BLT. The addition of lightly mashed avocado takes this classic sandwich to a whole new level. (It’s called a BLAT.) The rich flavor of the avocado adds a little fat to your tongue, balancing the salty, crispy bacon, tangy, juicy tomatoes, and fresh lettuce.
For extra flavor, I like to mix fresh herbs from my garden into my mashed avocado. Just a pinch of chopped fresh basil, chives, green onion, or coriander will give the avocado a delicious herby flavor. Squeeze lemon or lime juice over this herb-rich avocado mix, spread it on a baguette or ciabatta, and layer it with herb-marinated white beans.
How to Pick the Perfect Avocado
To get the most out of your avocado, you need to know what to look for when buying the buttery fruit (botanically speaking, avocados are a fruit). The skin should be dark green or black and unblemished, slightly soft when pressed, and green when the stem is removed — all telltale signs of a delicious, ripe avocado. Firm avocados can be ripened more quickly by placing them in a brown paper bag on the counter.
The bright green flesh of a ripe avocado will quickly turn black if it oxidizes, so it’s important to know how to store your avocado after you’ve cut it up. I store the remaining avocado half with the skin on, along with the pit, to minimize exposure to oxygen, then wrap the cut end tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. You can also store whole ripe avocados in the fridge to prevent them from becoming mushy or overripe.
Health Benefits of Avocado
Avocados are one of the best foods for fighting inflammation, along with dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and fatty fish. Half an avocado contains 5 grams of fiber, an important nutrient that has many health benefits, including improving gut flora and maintaining a healthy weight. Avocados are also rich in antioxidants. As part of a heart-healthy diet, avocados may help protect against oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. Avocados are also packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients that promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Not only are avocados delicious, they’re also packed with nutrients.
Conclusion
Adding avocado to your sandwich not only gives it a delicious nutty flavor and buttery texture, but it’s also packed with important nutrients that help reduce inflammation. Mash ripe avocado with lemon or lime juice to reduce its richness and toss with chopped fresh herbs for a flavorful spread. Experiment with other flavors and seasonings, like chili powder, cumin, charred tomatillos, and salsas. How you enjoy it is up to you, but adding fresh avocado to your sandwich is a great way to boost the anti-inflammatory properties of your lunch.
