Quinoa & Mango Stuffed Grilled Avocado

This Grilled California Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Mango Salad is a fun summer side dish or main that is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and bursting with flavor and texture.  The warm, creamy grilled avocado offers mouthwatering flavor and a perfectly charred finish that pairs well with the refreshing and zesty quinoa mango salad.  The avocado halves are drizzled with thinned out tangy cashew cream that adds to the deliciousness.  Each spoonful is packed with healthy fats and plant-based protein.  Altogether, it's an easy and nutritious dish that is mega satisfying.

Grilled California Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Mango Salad

This Grilled California Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Mango Salad is the perfect way to kick-off warm-weather season.  When it is too hot to turn the oven on, grilling becomes my go-to cooking method.  Cooking is always better in the sunshine and fresh air, anyways!  And, I love any excuse to grill veggies, fruits, plant-based burgers, etc.  If you haven't yet tried grilling an avocado, you are in for a real treat!  It only takes about five minutes and totally transforms the avocado.

Grilling avocado is quick and easy and produces a smoky flavor and even creamier texture.  In this recipe, the warm grilled avocado halves are then stuffed with a colorful and light quinoa mango salad that is loaded with cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, green onion and a zesty sweet dressing.  You can drizzle thinned out sour cream overtop if desired.

How to Grill an Avocado

I bring my grill to medium heat and allow it to fully preheat before adding the avocado.  If you place the avocado on the grill before it is hot then it will stick.  Next, I simply cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit.  I lightly brush the avocado halves with olive oil, pure maple syrup and fresh lime juice.  Then, I generously sprinkle the avocado halves with salt and pepper.  This helps produce perfectly charred grill marks that are loaded with flavor.  Finally, I grill them flesh side down for about five minutes.  When they easily lift off the grill, I know they are done.  If they stick to the grill then they are not ready to come off the grill.  That's it!  Then you can dig right in or stuff them with anything you'd like!  In this recipe, I suggest my favorite summery quinoa mango salad.  It pairs so well with grilled avocado and I think you will love it.

Health Benefits of Avocado

How to Select and Store California Avocados

When shopping for avocados, look for avocados with no soft spots.  To accelerate the ripening process, place the avocado in a brown paper bag along with an apple, banana or tomato and place in the warmest spot in your kitchen.  You will know it is perfectly ripe when the skin changes from green to slightly black and it is still firm but yields a gentle pressure.  Once ripe you can refrigerate for two to three days.  For this recipe, it is best to use newly ripe avocados.

Grilled California Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Mango Salad

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• Author: Elaine Gordon
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Grilled California Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Mango Salad is a fun summer side dish or main that is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and bursting with flavor and texture.  The warm, creamy grilled avocado offers mouthwatering flavor and a perfectly charred finish that pairs well with the refreshing and zesty quinoa mango salad.  The avocado halves are drizzled with thinned out tangy cashew cream that adds to the deliciousness.  Each spoonful is packed with healthy fats and plant-based protein.  Altogether, it's an easy and nutritious dish that is mega satisfying.

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Ingredients

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For the Quinoa Salad:

• 2 cups cooked white quinoa (packed)
• 1 ataulfo mango (also known as champagne mango at Costco), diced (¾ cup when diced)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, large stems removed and finely diced (optional)
• ½ small red onion, diced (1 cup when diced)
• ½ cup salted roasted pepita seeds
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and stem removed, finely diced

For the Quinoa Salad Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Grilled Avocado:

• 4 newly ripe California avocados, halved and pits gently removed
• extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, lime juice for brushing the avocado halves
• salt and pepper for sprinkling on the avocado halves

Optional Drizzle:

• ¼ cup homemade vegan sour cream
• water for thinning out (about 2 tablespoons)

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Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, mango, red onion, cilantro (if using), pepita seeds, green onions and jalapeno.  Stir well.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the quinoa salad dressing: olive oil, maple syrup, lime, garlic and salt.  Pour the dressing overtop the quinoa salad and stir well to incorporate throughout evenly.  Set aside.
4. Lightly brush the avocado halves (flesh side only) with olive oil, maple syrup and lime juice.  Sprinkle the avocado flesh with salt and pepper.
5. When the grill is fully preheated, place the avocados (flesh side down) directly overtop the burners.  Keep the heat on medium heat and do not move the avocados once placed on the griddle.  After five minutes check one avocado to see if it easily lifts off.  If it does, they all should be ready to take off the grill.
6. On a serving platter or large plate arrange the grilled avocados flesh side up.  Place two large spoonfuls of the quinoa salad in the avocado's well.
7. If you plan to add the optional drizzle, simply whisk together the vegan sour cream and 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out so you can easily drizzle it overtop the avocado.  Once plated, use a spoon to drizzle the thinned out sour cream overtop each grilled and stuffed avocado half.  Serve immediately while the avocado is still warm.
8. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 1-2 days.  But this dish is best when served immediately off the grill.

Notes

I cook the quinoa ahead of time and allow it to cool.  Here is my method for perfectly cooked quinoa in my Instant Pot and here is my method for perfectly cooked quinoa on my stovetop.

This recipe makes more quinoa salad than needed.  I like to serve the remaining quinoa salad on the side.  The quinoa salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  This can be made in advance.

• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 5
• Category: Side Dish or Entree
• Method: Grilled

Keywords: Grilled Avocado Stuffed with Quinoa Salad

This recipe is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.  All writing and opinions are my own.