We are avocado lovers around here. Well, my boys and I are. My DH doesn’t much care for them (although he enjoys my Chicken Pizza with Avocado Ranch Sauce well enough). But ever since my boys were babies, they’ve been eating avocado straight up like it’s candy. Delicious, wholesome, healthy candy.
I’ve experimented with avocado in baking - still working on that one - and in smoothies (Shamrock Shake, and Choc-Ocado Smoothie), as a pasta sauce, and - naturally - in guacamole. Recently, though, Avocados from Mexico challenged some of us bloggers to create new Mexican-inspired recipes using avocados. My mind naturally goes to guacamole when I think of Mexican avocado dishes, but I wanted to do something a little different. As yummy as guacamole is, and as fun as it is to create different variations of it, I embraced the opportunity to come up with something I’ve never done before.
Avocado Mousse is what I ended up with, although not the typical dessert variety (I’ve had the chocolate one - it’s yummy!). Nope! I went with a savory version, and served it atop some black bean chili. Yum! Black beans and avocado were made for each other, don’t you think?
If you’re an avocado lover, too, you can find a whole treasure trove of avocado inspiration at Recipes from Avocado Lovers. There’s a whole section there devoted to guacamole if that’s your preferred method of avocado delivery, but if you’re a little more adventuresome, you’ll find ideas for Avocado Ice Cream, Baked Eggvocado, Mexican Lasagna, and a whole lot more. You can also upload your own favorite avocado recipes so others can enjoy them, too.
Black Bean Chili with Avocado Mousse
Ingredients
Chili:
- 1 lb black beans (rinsed, soaked, and drained)
- 5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup corn
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 small sweet red pepper
- 1 TBSP cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1-2 tsp salt
Avocado Mousse:
- 2 small avocados
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP fresh cilantro (or a few sprigs)
- dash salt
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
Chili:
- Place the beans and broth in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2-4 hours or until beans are softened.
- Add garlic, onions, corn, peppers and spices, and cook for an additional hour or two. Serve topped with avocado mousse.
Avocado Mousse:
- Pulse the avocados, lemon juice, cilantro and salt in a food processor or blender (I used my VitaMix on speed 3-4) until smooth and thick. Remove from blender and fold in yogurt or sour cream. Pipe or spoon onto chili before serving.
It’s not exactly QUICK because you have to soak the beans and everything. But the hands on time is minimal. And the avocado mousse is a special touch that takes less than a few minutes.
The slow cooker makes it EASY! So does the VitaMix.
Beans are CHEAP, so they make a great frugal meal anytime! And I found Organic Avocados from Mexico at Trader Joe’s in a package of 4 for less than $4, so they were pretty cheap, too.
Wow, this dish is so HEALTHY! The healthy fats from the avocado and yogurt, combined with the protein and fiber from the beans make it a delicious combination that is really good for you.
Submit a recipe to the Recipes From Avocado Lovers website from Avocados From Mexico
Are you an avocado lover?
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