Hidden Spinach Healthy Guacamole
This Hidden Spinach Healthy Guacamole tastes like the homemade guacamole you know and love, but with the addition of vitamin-packed, vibrantly green spinach!
I have this bad habit of not eating as many veggies as I know I should. Which is why I like to sneak them into my food when I’m not looking. Green smoothies are the usual veggie vessel, sneaking in a few cups of kale or spinach per glass. But I’ve also been known to hide vegetables in pies, pasta sauces, and brownies. You could call it a hobby.
Today we’re adding another hidden veggie recipe to the mix…Hidden Spinach Healthy Guacamole! We’re essentially just pureeing spinach into a paste then mixing it into a classic guacamole. The bright green spinach makes this guacamole a bright green showstopper without detracting at all from the mouth-watering guacamole flavor we all know and love.
Ingredients to make this healthy guacamole
- Avocados: You’ll need 3 ripe avocados for this healthy guacamole. Here’s how to check if your avocados are ripe.
- Spinach: The secret ingredient! Spinach keeps guacamole bright green without changing the taste or texture.
- Red onion: Diced finely to add a little crunch and zing.
- Jalapeno: We’re adding 1 finely diced jalapeno to this guacamole, but you can add more or less, depending on your spicy threshold.
- Lime juice: Aim for fresh lime juice instead of bottled. The difference will shine through in this recipe! (Plus, it helps keep the guacamole from turning brown).
- Garlic: Do we ever need a reason for garlic?
- Salt and pepper: Throw in a pinch at the end, to taste
- Optional: If you’re a fan of tomatoes and/or cilantro you can throw those in too!
How to make a healthier guacamole
Most guacamole recipes have you simply mash everything together into chunky avocado bliss. We’re adding one more step to the mix in order to disguise our sneaky spinach…blending!
You’ll blend one of the avocados with the lime juice and spinach to puree the spinach, then mix that in with the remaining avocados and ingredients. This will make the spinach virtually undetectable while still giving you that classic chunky guacamole.
How to keep guacamole from turning brown
The spinach in this guacamole will help keep it green for longer than traditional guacamole. Here are a few ways to keep it green for even longer than that:
- Plastic wrap: Press plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole so that there is no air between the guacamole and the plastic.
- Lime juice: When guacamole turns brown it oxidizes, giving that drab color. Lime juice is full of antioxidants, and a quick drizzle of lime juice will fight against browning!
- Water: Pour a little lukewarm water over the guacamole before storing in the fridge. Similarly to the plastic wrap trick, this will help keep air off of the guac.
Hidden Spinach Healthy Guacamole
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup spinach
- 3 avocados ripe
- 1 lime juiced
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion about 1/4 onion
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: ½ cup chopped tomato, 2 Tbsp cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
- Blend: With a handheld immersion blender or a food processor, blend spinach, 1 of the avocados, and lime juice until a smooth puree is formed, scraping down the sides to get everything mixed nicely.
- Mix: Chop the remaining avocado into small chunks, then roughly mash into the puree, along with the onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Once you reach a consistency to your liking, season with salt and pepper. Optionally stir in tomatoes and cilantro
NUTRITION
I originally published this recipe on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.
I added diced fresh cherry tomatoes to Sarah’s recipe and used a tablespoon of jarred garlic.
(I was out of fresh!). The recipe was an absolute hit with our neighbors when they came over to enjoy a summer fire pit. The kids never suspected there was spinach in it! Yummy.
Yay!! So happy to hear it was a hit! 😀