Nigella Lawson Cucumber And Avocado Salad

Nigella Lawson’s cucumber, chilli and avocado salad is a cool, fresh salad of juicy cucumber and creamy avocado with green chilli, coriander, lime and olive oil. It serves 4 to 6, from her book Simply Nigella.

She warns against being lulled by its soothing greenness, the salving avocado and juicy cucumber, likening you to poor Becky Sharp biting into a green chilli thinking it looked cool and refreshing. Don’t overlook the fierce flecks of chilli, made even zingier by the lime’s acid rasp.

So it’s a salad with a hidden kick: creamy, crisp and cooling on the surface, but with a chilli bite running through it and the sharp lift of lime zest and juice. Simple, fresh, and a little bit fiery.

Nigella Lawson Cucumber And Avocado Salad

Recipe by Pinch Perfect

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Salads, SidesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

110

kcal

Total time

10

minutes

Nigella’s deceptively cooling salad from Simply Nigella: juicy cucumber and creamy avocado with green chilli, coriander, lime and olive oil, soothing on the surface with a fiery kick. Serves four to six.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber (peeled)

• 1 ripe avocado (peeled)

• 1 green chilli (deseeded if desired, finely chopped)

• 4 x 15ml tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

• zest and juice of 1 lime (preferably unwaxed)

• 2 x 15ml tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)

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Directions

• Prep the cucumber:Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. Slice the half-boats into 2cm pieces and tip into a bowl.
• Combine:Dice the avocado into similar-sized pieces and add to the bowl, along with the chilli, coriander, lime zest and juice, oil and salt.
• Serve:Mix gently but thoroughly, then tip onto a serving plate.

Notes

• (don’t be fooled by the greenness): It looks cool and soothing, but the chilli gives it a real kick, sharpened by the lime. Deseed the chilli if you want it milder.
• (make ahead / store): It’s not advisable to make ahead or store, as the avocado browns and the cucumber weeps.

FAQs

Is it actually spicy, despite looking so cool?

Yes, and that’s Nigella’s whole point. She warns you not to be “lulled by the soothing greenness” of the creamy avocado and juicy cucumber, invoking “poor Becky Sharp” (from Vanity Fair) biting into a green chilli thinking it looked refreshing. The fresh green chilli gives it a real, lively heat that sneaks up on you.

The lime zest and juice sharpen that kick further, so the salad is bright and fiery rather than merely cooling. If you prefer it milder, deseed the chilli (as the recipe allows) or use less; for more heat, leave the seeds in. The avocado and cucumber do temper it, so it’s balanced, cool and creamy against sharp and hot.

Why deseed the cucumber?

Scraping out the watery seeds with a spoon keeps the salad crisp and stops it going soggy and watery as it sits. The seedy core releases a lot of liquid, which would dilute the dressing and make everything slippery, so removing it leaves you with just the firm, crunchy cucumber flesh.

Cutting the deseeded halves into chunky 2cm pieces, similar in size to the diced avocado, gives the salad a good, substantial bite and makes each forkful balanced. Peeling the cucumber (as Nigella does) also makes it more tender and less bitter, though you can leave some skin on for colour and crunch if you prefer.

How do I stop the avocado going brown?

The lime juice is your friend here: tossing the diced avocado with the lime zest and juice (and the olive oil) coats it and slows the browning that happens when cut avocado meets air. Mixing everything gently but thoroughly ensures the avocado is well dressed and protected.

Even so, this salad is best made and eaten fresh, which is why Nigella says not to make it ahead. Use a ripe but still firm avocado so the pieces hold their shape rather than turning to mush when mixed. Dice it last, just before combining, for the freshest green colour and best texture.

What do I serve it with?

It’s a wonderfully fresh, cooling side, perfect alongside spicy or rich main courses that it can cut through. It’s lovely with Mexican food like tacos, grilled or barbecued meat and fish, or as part of a mezze or sharing spread. The chilli and lime give it a natural affinity with Nigella’s sweet potato tacos.

It also works as a light lunch on its own, or bulked up with prawns, crab or chickpeas. On the Simply Nigella series it accompanied spiced dishes. Keep it simple so its cool-and-fiery freshness stays the star. There’s more on the Nigella Lawson recipes page.

Can I make it ahead, or prep any of it?

Not fully, and Nigella advises against making it ahead or storing it, since the avocado browns, the cucumber releases water and weeps, and the whole thing loses its fresh, crisp appeal. It’s genuinely a last-minute, assemble-and-serve salad, which takes only about 10 minutes anyway.

What you can do to get ahead is prep the sturdier bits: chop the cucumber, chilli and coriander and keep them in the fridge, then dice the avocado and mix everything together with the dressing just before serving. That way you keep the crunch and the bright colour. Dress it only at the last moment, as the lime and salt start to draw out liquid.