Makes 4ish servings

Notes:

Ah, guacamole, we love you: Scooped onto chips, stuffed into quesadillas, dolloped onto rice and beans - you make the perfect snack and complete myriad dishes.

But, guacamole is deeply personal dish. Some like it drizzled with lime, or spiced up with a jalapeño or two, or garnished with a handful of cilantro. We have no quibble with any of those things, but like our guac simple so those buttery, rich avocados shine. Use this recipe as a template, and add fixings as you please.

Pro tips:

Chose avocados that are soft but not mushy, and that are heavy to the touch; more on how to chose, store and prep avocados here.
To extend their shelf life, keep avocados in the fridge. Alternatively, avocados can be ripened quickly (we’re talking a day or two - not an hour or two) on the counter in a paper bag with another piece of fruit.
It’s not traditional, but a teaspoon of sour cream will help keep your guacamole from turning brown. Serve and storing guacamole with a pit also helps keep it green. But, that brown layer of guac is simply oxidized and can be still be eaten - just mix it into the rest and scoop away.

Swaps:

You could use a small red onion instead of the shallots, but we prefer the milder flavor of the shallots, here and everywhere.

Add-ons:

Whatever you like! As mentioned above, some like their guac with a squeeze of lime, some diced jalapeño, or a handful of chopped cilantro. Get fancy with some crumbled cotija, or pomegranate seeds.
This obviously pairs well with chips. Our faves include are Red Hot Blues and Mi Nino’s Pico de Gallo tortilla chips.

Equipment:

Cutting board
Knife
Large mixing bowl
Potato masher or wooden spoon

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
2 medium ripe tomatoes
1 large or 2 small shallots
1 small bunch green onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce - cholula forever! - or chile powder (optional)

Instructions:

Halve your avocados by slicing them lengthwise around the perimeter. Remove the pits, then scope the flesh into bowl.

Chop your tomatoes: remove any leaves or stems, then place the tomatoes stem-side down on the cutting board. Cut the cheeks off the core (use a serrated knife for this). If there’s usable tomato at the bottom of the core, cut that off too, then discard the core. Lay the cheeks down flat, then cut into 1” cubes, again using your serrated knife. Toss your tomatoes in the bowl along with the avocado.

Dice you shallot: cut your shallot in half through the root, then peel each half. Lay each side flat-side down, and make vertical cuts along the shallot’s striations, keeping the root intact. Then, make ¼” cuts perpendicular to the ones you just made - you should wind up with a fine dice. Into the bowl they go.

Discard the slimy and wooden ends of the scallions, then sliver the remaining green and white parts. Into the bowl with those as well.

Add the salt and garlic powder, then mash the mixture with either a wooden spoon or potato masher until desired consistency is reached (have your kiddos do this step!). Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy.

The Easiest and Best Guacamole