Print This Post
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.
Luckily, 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 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
- 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
- In a mixing bowl, combine the avocados, tomatoes and pine nuts.
- 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.
- Add vinaigrette to salad. Toss gently, taking care not to smash the pieces of avocado; you are not making guacamole!
- Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.
- 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.
Pin the image below for Avocado Cherry Tomato Salad to your Pinterest board to save this recipe
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.
Thanks for visiting…are you hungry for more? Follow Shockingly Delicious on…
FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
…for all the latest recipes, ideas and updates!
This post may contain affiliate/referral links. It is a way for this site to earn advertising fees (at no cost to you) by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services that I approve and prefer.
Welcome to my kitchen!
At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
E-mail me: Dorothy.Reinhold@gmail.com
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Next Comments →
What more would you need for lunch! Nothing!
I love avocados! What a great recipe to try out!
I love how perfectly summer-y and delicious this is!
My office is right near a Lemonade restaurant and I eat there all the time. This salad is one of my favorites!
Omg that book looks awesome!
I would love this!!! Saving for my must make list~~
I’m always looking for new avocado recipes! this looks fabulous!
Could you tell me the name of the hard, white/tan vegetable that is in the Soba noodles? Thanks
Cynthia,
Aaaaack…I am scouring my cookbook shelves and now I cannot find this book! TRAGEDY!
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!!
JoHanna,
Lemonade should open a branch in EVERY city, eh?
tks
Angelica,
ur welcm 🙂
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 😉
Adair/Lentil,
I will send you the recipe! Loved all their offerings.
Fantastic! While full of health and nutrition, looks down right delectable.
Thanks Michelle!
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!
Kelly,
You are going to LOVE this cookbook! It is YOU!
I love this cookbook
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!
Jeanne,
Yeah, isn’t it pretty? I love the rustic look.
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!!!
Kim,
You’ll want to make every recipe in this book, trust me.
This looks delicious! I love the addition of pine nuts to make this special.
Sandi,
Pine nuts can give oomph to lots of things, eh?
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.
Cathy,
Oh my, I am DEFINTELY going to have to try that one!
This sounds and looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to give it a try.
Thanks Meg! It’s a classic…so good during the summer with fresh cherry toms!
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!
Christina,
I hear you. My squirrels love to feast on my beloved backyard strawberries. Arrrgh!