Avocados are one of life’s best pleasures, especially to raw foodies, but people are often unaware of the many ways avocado can be consumed. Here are a number of delicious raw avocado recipes that our yoga retreat guests enjoy as well as tips for eating unripe avocados.

Raw Avocado Smoothies Recipes | Avocado Snack Ideas | Raw Avocado Soups Recipes | Healthy Avocado Dressing Recipes | Avocado Dinner Ideas | Avocado Dessert Ideas

Health benefits of eating raw avocado


There are numerous health benefits to consuming raw avocado. However, these benefits can only be fully appreciated if you are following a generally healthy diet and lifestyle.

Replacing oily, processed food with avocado will ALWAYS be beneficial to your body. Even more beneficial, however, is eating clean (raw or vegan), exercising and detoxing regularly.

  1. Avocados are nutritionally rich foods.

    Avocados are considered “good”, raw, fat and We. Need. Fat. Despite its reputation, caused primarily by the weight-loss industry, healthy fat is essential to achieving and maintaining optimal health.

    Other healthy, natural and raw fats you should consume include: raw nuts, cold-pressed oils, and raw coconut butter (or raw coconut).

  2. Avocados are good for heart health.

    In a recent study, avocados were among 10 nutritional fruits proven to be more effective against Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) than many existing therapeutic drugs on the market.

    Other fruits in this study include: papaya, apple, grapes, mango, orange, kiwi, pomegranate, pineapple, and watermelon.

    “Consuming these fruits, which may contain varying amounts of active constituents depending on the food source and season, the development of nutritious fruits-based health supplements would be more realistic for consistent CVD protection.” Source.

  3. Avocado is an antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer…and more.

    The avocado, in all its forms, is beneficial to our health.

    Avocado pulp (what you normally eat) provides cardio-protective compounds, is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer.

    Both the avocado seed and avocado peel are antimicrobial as well as an antioxidant and anti cancer, like the pulp.

    4. Raw Avocado Health Benefits

  4. More avocado = lower cholesterol

    Generally speaking, consuming avocado will lower your cholesterol levels and blood TG, LDL, VLDL levels. It literally inhibits your body’s creation of cholesterol and does this, in part, with its bioactive components, like quercetin.

    5. Do you want to read more about avocado health benefits? Read this other research study on avocados.

Raw Avocado Recipes – Smoothies, Soups and Snacks

The following raw avocado recipes are easy to follow, often involving only 2-5 steps. Please keep in mind that many of them call for a blender and sometimes a food processor. If you ever book a weeklong raw food yoga retreat in Ecuador, you can expect to eat similar delicious raw meals as part of your detox program.

Raw Avocado Smoothies Recipes

Most of the following raw avocado smoothie ideas only require a blender and some filtered water. You can follow these recipes to a T or just use them as inspiration; feel free to switch in another ingredient to adjust the flavor, and adjust water quantity to change the consistency of your avocado smoothie.

I particularly enjoy adding ginger, spirulina or other immune-boosting supplements to my smoothies in the morning.

Blueberry-Avocado Smoothie

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • ½ cup blueberries (100 ml)
  • ½ avocado
  • ½ apple or pear
  • 1 ½ ounce spinach (40-70g)
  • 1-2 cups water for consistency (less water = thicker smoothie)

Method

  1. Add all ingredients to the blender. Add the avocado last and adjust the amount of water depending on the type of consistency you want. Add more apple or pear for sweetness.
  2. For an extra boost, add some spirulina or ginger.

The Greener the Cleaner

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • ½ avocado
  • 1 green apple or pear
  • A handful of parsley
  • ½ head romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

  1. Add all ingredients to blender. Blend the avocado and lemon last and adjust the amount of water depending on the type of consistency you want.

  2. Add more apple/pear for sweetness.
Healthy Avocado Smoothie

Avocado Snack Ideas

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When you don’t have the time, or motivation, to prepare an entire meal, this tasty avocado snack idea will do the trick. Since avocado is so filling, these types of snacks will keep you full and energized far longer than other conventional snack. They’re also easy to prepare.

Berry Creamy Avocado

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • ½ cup (100ml) raspberries (frozen or fresh, either works)
  • ½ cup cranberries or blueberries
  • 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Method

  1. Blend all ingredients and add water as needed.
  2. This recipe serves as a snack or breakfast. The creamy blend can be topped with more berries or nuts. Go nuts 😉

Raw Avocado Soups Recipes

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Some people prefer soups over smoothies, thought they are pretty similar.

In fact, a common question is what’s the difference between a raw soup and a smoothie?

Smoothies are generally cold blends composed of fruit, with a few added elements i.e. ginger or spinach. They are normally served in a cup or with a straw. Also, smoothies are often consumed at the beginning of the day, often replacing a more conventional “breakfast”, although you can have them at any time.

Soups, especially raw soups, can also be had at room temperature, though many people prefer to heat them slightly (though careful not to overheat your soup as the benefits of its raw ingredients will be lost). Soups are generally had for lunch or dinner and served in a bowl with a spoon.

Spinach-Avocado Soup

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados
  • ½ cucumber (10cm/4inches)
  • 2 ½ ounces baby spinach (100 g)
  • Chopped parsley (2 tablespoons, more or less)
  • ½ bunch of basel (ideally fresh!)
  • 2 tablespoons chives, also chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • Lime to taste
  • 10-12 fluid ounces of water (300-400ml)

Method

  1. Blend cucumber and avocado.
  2. Separately, blend water, spinach, parsley, basil and chives.
  3. Add cucumber and avocado mix to this and blend again, adding water while checking for consistency.
  4. Add lime and salt to taste.
  5. This soup is best when freshly made, but you can also store it in Tupperware til later in the day. Remember that avocado oxidizes once cut open so there may be discoloration after a few hours or overnight, even if refrigerated.

Spring to Action Avocado Soup

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • ½ avocado
  • 1 apple
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 ½ ounce spinach (40g)
  • ½ cup alfalfa sprouts (100ml)
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups of water (300-500ml)
  • 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • Salt

Method

  1. Blend all the ingredients EXCEPT for avocado. First add water and once mixture is more liquid, add avocado and blend again. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.
  2. This delicious avocado soup is good for detoxing and to maintain high levels of energy throughout the day.

Avocado-Carrot Soup

Serves: 2

You’ll need a juice extractor and blender for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados
  • 2.3 pounds carrot (1kg)

  • fresh ginger (10cm or 3/4 inch)

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper or cayenne pepper (to give it a kick!)

Method

  1. Using the juice extractor, juice the carrots.
  2. Insert this juice and the following into a blender and blend until smooth: peeled ginger, avocado and pepper.
  3. Top it with parsley, fresh chives and seaweed.

Toppings

  • Add a bunch of fresh chives or parsley

  • 1/2 cup of seaweed

Healthy Avocado Soup Recipe

Healthy Avocado Dressing Recipes

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Sometimes all you need is a nice salad dressing or dip to accompany another dish. Fear not, here are a few healthy avocado dressing and dips recipes to add to your avocado recipes cookbook.

Healthy Avocado Dip

Serves: 2

This healthy avocado dip can also be eaten as a dressing or soup. You will need a blender for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or dried dill
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • tamari to taste
  • lemon juice to taste

Method

  1. Peel & seed the cucumber.
  2. Blend avocados, dill, and cucumber with the water.
  3. Season the mixture with tamari and lemon to taste.

Healthy Avocado Dressing

Serves: 1 or 2

This healthy avocado dressing can be combined with other raw dishes in this post. The sunflower seeds or cashews give it a “meaty-ness” that, combined with the avocado, makes this dressing deliciously high in calories.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 avocado

  • 1 cup water (200ml or a bit less)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon/lime juice

  • salt

  • 1/4–1/2 cup fresh cilantro (50-100 ml)

  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds / cashews (100 ml)

Method

  1. Pulse the cashews or sunflower seeding in a food processor until you have a flour.
  2. Add lemon/lime juice, water, the 1/4 cup cilantro (50 ml), and some salt and continue to mix until well-blended.
  3. Add the half avocado and blend it again until smooth.
  4. Add more cilantro if required.
Cabbage Wrap Recipe

Avocado Dinner Ideas

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The majority of people only eat avocado in salad or on toast. Here are a few avocado dinner ideas to add to your raw food arsenal. Whether you’re in the mood for something simple or something a little more gourmet, we’ve got you covered. Check these recipes out:

Avo Sushi Recipe

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • 6 nori sheets
  • 1 cup of sauerkraut
  • ⅜ cup Brazil nuts (75 ml) or other nuts

Method

  1. Mix the avocado, sauerkraut and nuts. The avocado helps the mixture together.
  2. Spread the mixture over the nori sheets and roll or fold.

Cabbage – Avocado Wrap Recipe

Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots
  • 200 ml (1 cup) Sun-dried tomato mixture in oil
  • 1 cabbage head

Method

  1. Grate the carrots
  2. Separate cabbage leaves and clean
  3. Blend dressing ingredients
  4. Take a cabbage leaf and add the dressing, carrots and sun-dried tomatoes to make a roll.

For Dressing

  • 1 avocado for
  • ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 2 dates
  • 150 ml (¾ cup) water
  • Squeeze of limejuice

Cauli-Avo Curry Recipe

Serves: 2

You will need a food processor for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1-2 tablespoons curry
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 ounce of pea shoots (50 g)
  • 3/4 cup sunflower seeds (50 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow bell pepper

Method

  1. Chop cauliflower into smaller pieces (florets). 
  2. Place into food processor and pulse until finely chopped. 
  3. Add olive oil, lime juice, salt, and curry and process again in food processer until everything is well blended. 
  4. Place mixture in a bowl. 
  5. Cut peppers into chunks and mix into cauliflower mixture with sunflower kernels and pea shoots 
  6. Last, but not least, serve with avocado.

Avocado Dessert Ideas

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Need a delicious dessert idea that doesn’t involve lactose, added sugar or baking of any kind? Here is a popular avocado dessert idea to try.

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Serves: 1

You will need a food processor for this healthy avocado chocolate mousse recipe. The coconut oil makes it extra creamy and flavorful, no lactose needed, and the sweetness comes, in large part, from the dates. Instead of cacao powder, you can also use carob powder. Carob is a brown powder derived from the carob bean that can be used as a cacao substitute.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado

  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (the purest available)

  • 1/2 cup water (100 ml)

  • 5 dates

  • 1 tablespoon cacao powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla bean
  • (optional) 50 ml raspberries

Method

  1. If you’re using raspberries, fresh is ideal but if frozen, make sure to thaw before preparing this recipe
  2. Heat the coconut oil over a double boiler until liquid.
  3. Blend water and dates in food processor.
  4. Add the coconut oil, cacao powder or carob powder, plus ground vanilla bean and blend again until smooth.
  5. Finally, add the avocado and blend for another short while. Serve in a bowl with raspberries.

Eating Unripe Avocado

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We’ve all been there. After waiting patiently, you cut open your avocado before it’s ready and must figure out what to do with it. Throwing it away would be such a terrible waste, so here are a few ideas on eating unripe avocado.

Idea #1: Ripen the avocado 🙂 Patience is a virtue

Idea #2: Prepare the unripe avocado with the below unripe avocado recipe

Avocado Ripening Tricks

If you haven’t yet cut open your avocado, you can salvage it using these avocado ripening tricks BUT it may take 1-2 days before you can consume it. Try to eat it before it’s time and you will have some bitter tasting avocado!

1. My favorite trick is to place the unripe avocado in a paper bag or wrap it in newspaper, then store it somewhere that gets more warmth, such as above your kitchen cabinet near the oven. This will ripen your avocado in no time.

2. If you have fruits that release the ripening gas, ethylene, you can store the avocados with those and it will ripen faster. Apples and bananas will work.

3. Some other methods include burying the avocado in rice or flour or heating it in a microwave for 30 second intervals, but I don’t recommend these. Who wants microwave-zapped avocado? It will lose that rich creaminess we all crave, so best stick to the first 2 avocado ripening tricks.

If you’ve already cut the avocado and it’s unripe, you can put the two halves back together, seal with a rubber band or in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for another day or two. Don’t store it in the fridge!

Raw unripe avocado recipe

There are many non-vegan recipes that involve cooking an unripe avocado, but what if you’re a raw vegan? Here’s one solution that could do the trick, granted you’re not a strict vegan and can consume honey. You can also replace the honey with pressed cane sugar / sugarcane juice.

  1. Grate the unripe avocado
  2. Marinate in a mixture that includes lemon juice, honey and fish sauce.
  3. Let it sit there for 20+ minutes, depending how unripe your avocado is.
  4. Add some diced scallions and toasted sesame seeds and eat it with other leafy greens.