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It was great to see the positive responses to my Mango Spirulina Pudding, so today I thought I’d share with you a different way to get spirulina into your diet.
Spirulina guacamole!
I’ve been adding spirulina to my guacamole for quite a while and I enjoy it so much that I included a recipe for Spirulina Guacamole in my book. While it might seem strange to you if you’ve never tried it, this actually is a fantastic combination! And it seems to make sense because these foods both have their origins in Mexico.
Spirulina was a highly regarded food in the Aztec culture until the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico in the 16th century. According to legend, Aztec messenger runners took Spirulina on their marathons, which is not surprising, considering it is such a concentrated source of nutrition.
According to David Wolfe, the Aztecs were also known to mix spirulina with chocolate, which is exactly what I have done in this recipe. I used a basic guacamole recipe to which I added spirulina and cacao nibs, transforming a much-loved snack into a high-nutrient antioxidant-rich superfood!
The spirulina adds a somewhat “cheesy” flavor which works well with all the other ingredients in guacamole. For this recipe I prefer to use Spirulina Azteca – made from a particular strain of spirulina – because I find it has a flavor that works much better in savory recipes.
Real Mexican Guacamole
Serves 2-4
2 avocados
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 tablespoon red onion, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon spirulina
1-2 tablespoons cacao nibs (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place them in a medium-size bowl. Mash gently. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together. Taste and if desired add a little more salt or lime juice.
You will have a very dark green creation that tastes much better than it might appear. You can eat it as a between-meal snack with raw veggies. Tomato wedges, red peppers or cucumber would work well. This would also be great on top of large romaine leaves with sliced tomato.
We enjoyed it for lunch with red pepper salsa wraps, sliced tomato, and lettuce. It was a satisfying meal that was easy to digest and provided lots of energy to get through the afternoon.
If you decide to serve this for dinner you might prefer to reduce or eliminate the cacao nibs due to their stimulating effect that could interfere with sleep. And for anyone with a cacao sensitivity the same applies.
I didn’t add any garlic or chili to this recipe but if you like it hot feel free to experiment to suit your tastes. How we enjoy our guacamole can tend to be a personal thing so go ahead and get creative.
For those of you who are just starting to experiment with spirulina you could start with just a teaspoon and gradually increase the amount as you become accustomed to the flavor. And for the hardcore spirulina enthusiasts you could even add extra!
I hope this recipe has inspired you to consider a different way of getting spirulina in your diet other than in a smoothie. If you try it I would love to know what you think.
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