Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut, Lime Vinaigrette Salad (from Lemonade Restaurant)

by Dorothy Reinhold on July 27, 2020


Print This Post Print This Post The salad of summer: Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut, Lime Vinaigrette Salad from Lemonade, a chain of fast-casual restaurants offering fresh, bold Southern California cooking. | ShockinglyDelicious.com

Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut Lime Vinaigrette Salad is one of Lemonade Restaurant’s most beloved dishes. Made with garden-fresh cherry tomatoes and ripe avocados, this easy summer salad is the perfect side dish or potluck offering.

My friend Teri and I decided to drop in to Lemonade, the fast-casual California eatery chain (13 locations in greater L.A.) that we knew would satisfy our lunch cravings. Simple yet imaginative, relaxed and California-casual, these chef-driven, healthy recipes were exactly what we wanted.

We piled our plates high with Ahi Tuna, Snap Pea, Watermelon Radish Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette; Cauliflower, Raisin, Almond in Curry Vinaigrette; Red Miso Beef with some buttery mashed potatoes; Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Dates and Parmesan in a Sage Balsamic Dressing…we could not stop ourselves!

Today, though, I’m making their simple, perfectly in-season salad of California avocados, cherry tomatoes from my back yard garden, toasted pine nuts and an easy lime vinaigrette.

The Lemonade Cookbook cover on ShockinglyDelicious.comLuckily, Lemonade chef Alan Jackson put out a cookbook in 2013 with many of their most popular recipes among the 120 featured. I am devouring this book, much as I pounced on lunch the other day. Want it? It is called “The Lemonade Cookbook,” by Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli (St. Martin’s Press; 2013; $30).

It’s fresh, lively, bold Southern California cooking that is of-the-moment. Sandwiches, salads, stews all pair with each other in a global mixing pot on the plate, accompanied by one of the 10 different flavors of lemonade. We highly recommend cucumber-mint. We were such piglets with our lunch plates, we didn’t have room for dessert, but if we had, I might have chosen a Butterscotch Blondie.

We want these recipes now, and frankly, we want this food every day for lunch.

Is that too much to ask?

Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut, Lime Vinaigrette Salad

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4-8 servings

Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut, Lime Vinaigrette Salad

Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut Lime Vinaigrette Salad is one of Lemonade Restaurant's most beloved dishes. Made with garden-fresh cherry tomatoes and ripe avocados, this easy summer salad is the perfect side dish or potluck offering.

Ingredients

  • 4 firm-ripe California Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into chunks
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved crosswise
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below)
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lime Vinaigrette
  • Juice of 2 to 3 limes, (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the avocados, tomatoes and pine nuts.
  2. Make vinaigrette: In a blender, combine the lime juice, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium speed for a few seconds, and then reduce the speed to low. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Pour into a container or jar and mix in the cilantro. Keep any leftover vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  3. Add vinaigrette to salad. Toss gently, taking care not to smash the pieces of avocado; you are not making guacamole!
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.
  5. Makes 4 cups.

Notes

Recipe source: From “The Lemonade Cookbook” by Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli. Copyright © 2013 by Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press, LLC.

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/avocado-cherry-tomato-pine-nut-lime-vinaigrette-salad/

pin this please!Pin the image below for Avocado Cherry Tomato Salad to your Pinterest board to save this recipe

Avocado Cherry Tomato Salad on a large white platter on a greeen background

Two more Shockingly Delicious cherry tomato salads for you

Cherry Tomato and Israeli Feta Salad

Cherry Tomato and Israeli Feta Salad

Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad

Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad

Disclosure: The publisher sent a copy of the book for review.
This post was originally published Aug. 26, 2016 and has been refreshed and republished today.

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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }

Krista August 29, 2016 at 10:46 am

What more would you need for lunch! Nothing!

Reply

Sabrina August 28, 2016 at 3:52 pm

I love avocados! What a great recipe to try out!

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Laura at I Heart Naptime August 27, 2016 at 8:40 am

I love how perfectly summer-y and delicious this is!

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Erika Kerekes August 27, 2016 at 8:36 am

My office is right near a Lemonade restaurant and I eat there all the time. This salad is one of my favorites!

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Matthew From Nomageddon August 26, 2016 at 5:16 pm

Omg that book looks awesome!

Reply

Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie August 26, 2016 at 4:03 pm

I would love this!!! Saving for my must make list~~

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TidyMom August 26, 2016 at 10:18 am

I’m always looking for new avocado recipes! this looks fabulous!

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cynthia February 29, 2016 at 3:32 pm

Could you tell me the name of the hard, white/tan vegetable that is in the Soba noodles? Thanks

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold February 29, 2016 at 8:24 pm

Cynthia,
Aaaaack…I am scouring my cookbook shelves and now I cannot find this book! TRAGEDY!

Reply

JoHanna Michelle Leonard March 13, 2015 at 3:03 pm

I was recently in your restaurant in Venice Ca. My husband and I love salads and this restaurant was fantastic!! We live in the Santa Cruz California area and one of your restaurants would be great here!!! Capitola Ca. area would allow you in and it would be the best!! This area is a very healthy area and lots of produce is grown here. We also have two colleges here and that says a lot.
Is there a chance you might come here?? We need a place like yours!!! We love Lemonade!!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 13, 2015 at 8:24 pm

JoHanna,
Lemonade should open a branch in EVERY city, eh?

Reply

Angelica Vasquez January 28, 2015 at 12:36 pm

tks

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Dorothy Reinhold January 28, 2015 at 2:25 pm

Angelica,
ur welcm 🙂

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Lentil Breakdown August 29, 2014 at 4:52 pm

This is one of my favorite casual places to eat because there is so much I can eat! I’ve been to three or four locations, including the one in Manhattan Beach. I’ve been wanting to make the curried cauliflower, but I don’t have the book! (I found a knockoff recipe online though 😉

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 7:57 pm

Adair/Lentil,
I will send you the recipe! Loved all their offerings.

Reply

Michelle @ The Complete Savorist August 28, 2014 at 11:26 pm

Fantastic! While full of health and nutrition, looks down right delectable.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 1:07 pm

Thanks Michelle!

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Kelly @ TastingPage August 28, 2014 at 9:53 pm

I can’t believe they’re giving all of their secrets away, and I can’t believe I don’t have this cookbook yet…yet!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 1:07 pm

Kelly,
You are going to LOVE this cookbook! It is YOU!

Reply

The Food Hunter August 28, 2014 at 9:43 pm

I love this cookbook

Reply

Jeanne @JollyTomato August 28, 2014 at 9:25 pm

Darn – You were right in my neck of the woods – Sorry I wasn’t around to see you! And yes, LOVE Lemonade, especially their amazing salads. This one is particularly beautiful!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 1:08 pm

Jeanne,
Yeah, isn’t it pretty? I love the rustic look.

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Kim - Liv Life August 28, 2014 at 9:05 pm

Oh yes!!! I’m in San Diego, but I have to admit I haven’t heard of Lemonade… but I’ll be looking for one. And the book?? I think I can squeeze one more on my shelf… there’s always room for one more right?? This salad has me positively sold!!!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 1:08 pm

Kim,
You’ll want to make every recipe in this book, trust me.

Reply

Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets) August 28, 2014 at 6:26 pm

This looks delicious! I love the addition of pine nuts to make this special.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 29, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Sandi,
Pine nuts can give oomph to lots of things, eh?

Reply

Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought August 27, 2014 at 8:39 am

I have made about 8 recipes from the Lemonade cookbook. What I really like is Alan Jackson’s twist on some recipes. It has really made me look at food combining differently. My favorite so far is the Israeli Couscous with Lemon-Truffle Vinaigrette.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 27, 2014 at 12:35 pm

Cathy,
Oh my, I am DEFINTELY going to have to try that one!

Reply

Meg @ Beard & Bonnet August 27, 2014 at 8:32 am

This sounds and looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to give it a try.

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Dorothy Reinhold August 27, 2014 at 12:36 pm

Thanks Meg! It’s a classic…so good during the summer with fresh cherry toms!

Reply

Christina August 27, 2014 at 7:55 am

This sounds WONDERFUL! Love the addition of pine nuts and the lime dressing! Now if I can only get my resident squirrel to leave some avocados for me!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 27, 2014 at 12:37 pm

Christina,
I hear you. My squirrels love to feast on my beloved backyard strawberries. Arrrgh!

Reply

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