Pineapple Black Bean Guacamole
Guac got an upgrade! I’ve added my favorite fruit to one of my favorite snacks and I think you’re going to love how it turned out. Black beans add some texture and boost the fiber content making this a nutritious and tasty snack.
Making homemade guacamole is as simple as chop, mash, and mix! Ensure you buy your avocados a few days ahead of time so that they are perfectly ripe when it is time to make your guacamole. To save time, pineapple can be chopped the day prior and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reserve the rest of the pineapple to snack on, or freeze to add to beverages. If using canned black beans, you will also be left with extra. Add them to a quesadilla, tacos, salads, nachos or freeze for later use.
Slice off top and bottom.
Cut off outer skin by slicing from top to bottom on all sides.
Cut out tough core and discard.
Finely dice enough for the guac, and chop the rest for eating!
Kitchen Tip!
Does cutting a fresh pineapple intimidate you? It doesn’t have to! Follow the steps pictured above for an easy method of chopping fresh pineapple. First cut off the top and bottom, creating a flat surface on both ends of the pineapple. Next, slice the skin off moving your knife from top to bottom with the pineapple upright. Rotate and repeat until all tough skin is removed. Next, remove the tough core by cutting the edible portions from all four sides of it. Lastly, chop as you please! For this recipe, you will use 1/4 to 1/3rd of a whole pineapple. Make sure the dice into small pieces so you get a little taste of pineapple with each bite of guacamole.
When cutting avocado, make sure you cut on a cutting board and not in your hand for knife safety. Rather than scooping out avocado from the skin, quarter the avocado and peel the skin off each quarter. This ensures you use as much of the avocado as you can, especially the darker green portion that is rich in antioxidants.
Nutrition Tip!
Avocados are a standout in the vegetable world for their monounsaturated fat content. Monounsaturated fats are considered heart healthy as they help support healthy cholesterol levels. Proportionally, we want to aim to include more unsaturated fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats) than saturated fats in our diet through food and cooking. A general rule of thumb is that these heart healthy fats are going to be liquid at room temperature, such as avocado oil, olive oil, canola oil, and the oils from other nuts and seeds. Those that are solid at room temperature such as animal fat, butter, coconut and palm oil do not have these beneficial effects on our cholesterol levels or heart health. This doesn’t mean we should add an excess of oil into our diet, or completely cut out saturated fat sources. I suggest instead to try snacking on avocados, seeds, nuts and nut butters. Use oils in your cooking when you sauté or roast vegetables, make homemade salad dressings or marinades. And enjoy your toast with butter if that is how you like it best. For more tips on how oils impact heart health visit the American Heart Association website, and make this guac for your next get together with friends and family!
Pineapple Black Bean Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced pineapple (about 1/4" pieces)
- 1 jalapeno
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 3 medium avocados
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
Instructions
- Cut up fresh pineapple (refer to photos above if you would like to see my favorite method for cutting a fresh pineapple). You will need 1 cup finely diced (1/4 inch pieces) for the guacamole. Set aside. Reserve the rest to snack on, blend into smoothies, or cocktails!
- Remove the stem and the seeds from the jalapeño and finely chop. Set aside.
- Finely chop red onion and cilantro, set aside.
- Peel and remove pits from avocados, mash in a large bowl using a fork. Squeeze juice of one lime over avocado. Add pineapple, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro to the bowl. Rinse black beans in a colander and add to the bowl.
- Add cumin, coriander, and salt to the bowl and stir well to combine.
- Garnish with additional cilantro, pineapple, and black beans (optional), and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!
