Discover the Zesty Delight of Mandarin Avocado Salsa
Recipes: Fresh, light, and straight from California
Winter is citrus season in Northern California. I live next door to an organic mandarin orchard, and I’m always looking for more ways to use up the sweet, juicy fruit.
This deliciously different salsa is great on tortilla chips or as a side with simply grilled chicken, pork, or fish.
It also makes a tasty light meal over salad greens or cooked grains, like brown rice or quinoa. A sprinkle of feta or cotija cheese is a nice addition.
You can substitute other citrus fruit, such as blood oranges, navel oranges, or grapefruit. You may wish to increase the honey in the dressing if your fruit is on the tart side.
Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 cups
Mandarin Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
For the dressing:
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1/4 cup olive oil
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Juice of one lime (See note 1)
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2 Tablespoons honey
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One pinch kosher salt
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2 Tablespoons minced fresh herbs: oregano, parsley, cilantro, or a mixture
For the salsa:
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1.5 cups frozen corn (12 oz. bag)
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One 15 oz. can black beans
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Mandarin oranges, peeled and diced to make 2 cups (about four fruit, depending on size). (See note 2)
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3 Tablespoons minced pickled jalapeño peppers (for medium heat; adjust to taste)
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Two avocado
Instructions
Step 1: Make dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and minced herbs.
Step 2: Prepare corn and beans
Place frozen corn into a wire mesh strainer in the sink. Pour canned beans into the same strainer. Rinse the corn and beans together under warm running water to thaw the corn and rinse the beans. Drain well.
Step 3:
Dice the avocados. (See note 3) Place the diced flesh directly into the bowl with the dressing and toss gently to coat. This will help slow down the browning of the avocado pieces.
Step 4: Add the corn, black beans, minced jalapeños, and mandarin sections. Toss gently and taste to adjust seasoning.
Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
To make ahead: Combine all ingredients except avocado. Add the avocado immediately before serving for the nicest presentation. Leftovers are tasty, but the avocado pieces do turn a khaki color.
Note 1: To extract the most juice out of your lime, microwave it whole for 10 seconds. Then roll the fruit on the cutting board under the palm of your hand before cutting it open and squeezing.
Note 2: To quickly chop a mandarin, peel the fruit but leave it whole. Turn it on its side and slice in half along the equator. Then separate the halved sections with your fingers, removing any large pieces of white membrane.
Note 3: The easiest way to dice an avocado: Do not peel. Slice the fruit in half lengthwise, running your knife carefully around the large pit. Twist the two halves of the avocado apart to separate.
To remove the pit from its half, thwack the blade of your knife firmly into the pit, hold the fruit in your hand and give a sharp twist; the pit will pop out on your knife blade. To remove the pit from the blade of the knife, place your hand behind the pit (on the dull side of the blade) and gently push forward on the pit with your fingers. It will pop off.
To dice the flesh of the avocado, use the tip of your knife to score a quarter-inch grid into the fruit, still in the peel. (Cut to, but not through, the peel.) Scoop the diced flesh out of the peel with a spoon, directly into your bowl.