Stuffed avocado with quinoa hearts of palm salad make for a perfect light dinner or appetizer. Quinoa is mixed with tender thinly sliced hearts of palm, scallions, and drizzled with an avocado mayo. Serve in lightly scooped out avocado halves for a sophisticated yet easy to make meal.
Once you go grocery shopping in a foreign country you instantly know you’re far away from home. Some countries you’re not so far, others you’re a bit farther away. It’s just funny sometimes the things that jump out at you when buying groceries.
For example here in Costa Rica the first thing I noticed is that every grocery store sell canned hearts of palm. And not just one brand and variety, but several. In cans vs glass jars, in tall spears vs cut into rounds. This caught my eye quickly because in the US usually I have to search multiple aisles hoping to spot a can of hearts of palm.
Sometimes I can’t even find it.
Well, after a bit of research it all started to add up. Turns out Costa Rica is a large producer of hearts of palm (and the primary source of hearts of palm in the US.
So that’s speaking of things you can easily find in Costa Rica, and now on to what you won’t find.
Lemons. Not a lemon in sight and I have even read blog posts about restaurant owners not being able to get access to lemons at all in Costa Rica.
And it seems the situation has gotten better over the years. Just the other day I was chatting with one of the neighbors (of the house where we are house sitting) and she was saying how 10 years ago if you saw something on the shelf like peanut butter or cocoa powder you would buy all of it. Months could go by before you would see it again.
That seems to have gotten better at least, but still no lemons. Limes are in abundance though so for the next two months get ready for lots of lime based recipes and salad dressings.
Another interesting thing I spotted in the store was a plastic box full of small round peppers. I instantly assumed they were the mini sweet peppers. The ones that are bright, vibrant and perfect for salad. I was about to add them in a large quantity to a different dish and at the last minute I thought to myself – better try these, just to be sure they are not spicy.
Hot damn.
They were spicy. So spicy that the fingers on my hand were literally burning and hot to the touch for a few hours after cutting them. No joke.
Do not just add peppers to dishes in foreign countries without trying them on spice level first. Mistake averted, otherwise the dish would have been inedible.
Now that I know that, I can add them in moderation to add a bit of heat, like in this dish. I have made avocado boats multiple times in the past – I just love them (and all things avocado related of course). This time I wanted to include my new friends – the hearts of palm.
Cut those into matchsticks and mix with a bit of quinoa, scallions and capers. Then mix that all up with a home made vegan avocado mayo – yep I said it – avocado mayo.
This dish is avocado on avocado served in a stuffed avocado. Dream come true meal for the avocado lover.
Stuff the combined mix back into the lightly scooped out avocado halves and lunch or light dinner is ready. Stuffed avocado ready to go!
A super light and flavorful meal with just a hint of spice and fluffy quinoa, creamy avocado and tender hearts of palm.
Have you ever tried a stuffed avocado recipe?
Stuffed avocado with quinoa hearts of palm salad make for a perfect light dinner or appetizer. Quinoa is mixed with tender thinly sliced hearts of palm, scallions, and drizzled with an avocado mayo. Serve in lightly scooped out avocado halves for a sophisticated yet easy to make meal.
- 1 can hearts of palm cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 cup green onions diced
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 small chili pepper minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- cayenne for sprinkling
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 avocado cut in half and half of the avocado scooped out and cubed
- For the avocado mayo:
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
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In a blender combine the avocado mayo ingredients: 1/2 avocado, olive oil, coconut milk, garlic, and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
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In a large bowl combine quinoa, hearts of palm, green onions, chili pepper, capers, and cubed avocado.
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Mix avocado mayo with quinoa bowl.
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Serve in avocado shells.
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
I was looking lately for avocado recipes. Looks delicious!
Vicky says
Thanks!
Cristie | Little Big H says
This is my kind of recipe. Love it. I’m making this asap. Yumming and pinning so I remember!
Vicky says
Thanks for sharing! Enjoy!
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
That looks really delicious – I love hearts of palm and haven’t had them in forever! Will add them to my shopping list this week 🙂
Vicky says
You’ve got to bring them back into your diet! So good! I love them.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
What a fantastic way to use avocados. These look delicious!
Vicky says
Thanks!
Sarah says
These look delicious!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Vicky says
Hope you enjoy it!
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder says
These avocado boats looks so pretty ! Great photos
I enjoyed hearing your food adventures in Costa Rica. It was like when I lived in Botswana Africa – fruit and veggies could be SO expensive (although for some reason avocados were dirt cheap….literally 15 cents in US currency)
Vicky says
Wow I cannot believe the avocados were only 15 cents in Botswana — that is clearly the place for an avocado lover like me! Bumping that up a few notches on my travel list!
Mark says
Vicky these look fabulous as well as being healthy. Anything with avocado is a winner. Your photos are really nice by the way!
Vicky says
Thanks so much! Totally agree – avocado in anything = winning recipe : )
footnotes and finds says
so glad to have come across your blog, being vegetarian! yum! these look delicious and super healthy!
http://www.footnotesandfinds.com
Vicky says
Thanks! No shortage of recipes here for you to choose from that suit your diet : ))
Anne Murphy says
Mmm, that sounds great!
I must admit, probably 90% of the palm hearts I have eaten in my life were at a deli salad bar near an old job where I used to get lunch… I really should try cooking with them myself!
And I like the avocado mayo…
Vicky says
Must have a nice salad bar — don’t think I’ve seen hearts of palm at the standard salad bar, unless I was always just skipping over them! Yes you’ve definitely got to try cooking with them!
Tash says
What are palm hearts?
Vicky says
Hearts of palm is a vegetable harvested from the core of certain palm tree. You can usually find it sold in cans or glass jars in the canned vegetable aisle of the grocery store. Hope you can find it!!