Vegetarian Avocado Stacker - Herb Topped

Submitted by ExecutiveCook

"A beautiful side salad that is completely healthy and impresses everyone. I got this from a vegetarian cookbook and have adopted it with a number of modifications that suits my taste at the moment. You could add Crab to the avocados or use other kinds of beans. You could use different herbs and kinds of mustard. The options are plentiful!"

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley or 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup fresh dill or 1 cup chives, chopped
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1⁄4 cup celery, diced
• 1 green onion, sliced in strips on length
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1⁄2 cup hearts of palm or 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
• 2 medium avocados
• 1⁄2 cup frozen corn

directions

1. The key to this recipe is to open both ends of a 14-oz condensed milk can with a can opener to use as the mold for the stacked salad. (It must be a milk can as they are not ribbed like vegetable cans, and it can be reused over and over).
2. To make the herb salad, chop and combine first 3 ingredients, set aside. Then Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and mustard. Combine 1/2 of the herb mixture with the freshly whisked dressing.
3. Now, heat oil over medium heat and sauté bell pepper, celery, and onion for about 2 minutes and set aside to cool. while vegetables are cooling, combine beans, hearts of palm and 1/2 of the herb dressing together in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Now add cooled off vegetables with bean mixture and set aside.
4. Coarsely mash avocados in a bowl and stir in the frozen corn kernels and the remaining herb dressing.
5. Now assemble the salad by placing the milk can in the center of a small plate. Spoon 1/4 amount of the avocado mixture into the bottom and lightly pack. Then spoon 1/4 of the bean mixture on top the lightly packed avocado mixture. Finally, top with some of the remaining freshly chopped herbs. Lift off milk can mold and repeat for remaining stacks.