Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

Do you like hearts of palm?
This is one of my favorite salads. It can serve as an entree or a side.
The flavors are amazing and the presentation is beautiful.



The blend of hearts of palm with diced tomato and avocado tastes amazing.

Hearts of palm is an unusual, yet very healthy, vegetable that is readily available in jars in most supermarkets. It comes from the core of the palm tree and usually imported from Costa Rica.

According to Dr. Axe on his webstie, hearts of palm are high in fiber, protein, and nutrients. In fact he called it a good meat substitute for Vegans. I just know that it tastes wonderful and is low calorie, low glycemic index, and low carb- love it!!

I bought a double pack of jars at Costco; BJ's also carries hearts of palm 

Healthy, gluten free, vegan, nut free- who could ask for more? This is one of those recipes that is great to remember for when you are having company and want to accommodate  a variety of eating needs.
Elegance without sacrificing taste or health!

In addition, it's a great substitute for a tossed salad when you just don't feel like washing, drying, and cutting up lettuce.

Lemon keeps the avocado from turning brown
With a simple lemon and olive oil dressing, the avocado didn't turn brown, and I was able to make the salad a few hours in advance and keep in the refrigerator until I was ready to serve it.

I remember the first time I tasted this salad . It was a warm Miami evening and I was invited to a friend's house for a family outdoor dinner . The sun had already set and our ambitious host had tables in her yard to accommodate twenty guests composed of adults of all ages, children, and their pets.

A variety of entrees and salads took their places at the table, conversation and remarks ensued ,and then the food was passed around. Everything on the dinner menu was delicious, but I thought this salad was exceptional-
Of course I asked for the recipe and knew I would be duplicating it at home.
Since my friend's recipe wasn't precise, I have estimated the amounts.



Prep Time: 10  minutes
Cook Time: None
Serves: 4 sides

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes, diced large
6 hearts of palm stalks, cut into bite size pieces
2 avocados, peeled, seed removed and diced
2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
optional: 1/4 cup of diced cilantro
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
optional: add some chopped scallions

Directions:

Combine all ingredients . Add olive oil and lemon juice and mix well.

Linking to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking where anyone can share a food related post. 

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This post is also linked to Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, salad, or sammie recipe. Check out this week's recipes.