Avocado Salad with Garlic Anchovy Vinaigrette (Keto, Whole30)

This umami-rich avocado salad recipe from Phyllis Grant’s Everything is under control: a memoir with recipes combines buttery avocados, crisp lettuce, fresh herbs and a bold, tangy garlic and anchovy dressing. Plus, it happens to be paleo, Whole30, and keto-friendly, so it’s the perfect 20-minute side dish to make when you have some ripe avocados!

A small glass of avocado salad with halved avocados filled with a garlic anchovy vinaigrette over mixed greens. There's a red banner at the bottom that says paleo, keto, Whole30, gluten-free.

The best avocado salad

My friend Phyllis Grant, author of the acclaimed food blog, Dash and Bella, is an amazing writer, recipe creator, and the queen of making vibrant, wow-worthy salads. When she memory came out last year, I read it in one sitting – something I rarely do – because Phyllis’ poetic writing completely engaged me with its honesty, wit and rawness.

To celebrate the paperback launch of her recipe memoirs, Everything is under controlI had the honor of being coached by Phyllis on how to make an epic salad his Instagram Live in April. When we had the salad for dinner, my family easily agreed that it was the best I had ever made.

Since we made the salad freely with ingredients I had in the kitchen, there is no recipe. However, I wanted to share one of her tried-and-true magical salad recipes with my readers, and luckily, Phyllis gave me permission to share the Avocado Bowls with Garlic Anchovy Dressing from her memoir. The interplay of flavors and textures in this simple avocado salad tastes truly amazing – I would eat a salad every day if it were one of Phyllis’ recipes.

A side of avocado salad with garlic anchovy vinaigrette and topped with fresh herbs

Ingredients for avocado salad

Anchovy fillets in olive oil: Yes, you have to use anchovies. Don’t turn up your nose: they are what make this salad so delicious and full of umami! You can use any leftover fillets to prepare my Tuna Sauce.
Garlic cloves: Minced garlic is heated in the pan with the anchovies, resulting in a powerful, heavenly seasoning.
sherry vinegar: Zippy sherry vinegar is the perfect pairing with bold anchovies and garlic. If you don’t have any on hand, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar work well.
Shallot: The soft sweetness and light crunch of reheated shallots are EVERYTHING.
Dijon mustard: Mustard helps emulsify the dressing and adds a little tangy flavor to the hot dressing.
Extra virgin olive oil: For the seasoning, use freshly pressed high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Mixed lettuces: Phyllis sometimes serves avocado cups alone or on top of butter lettuce, romaine lettuce hearts, or coleslaw. Personally, I like to use Little Gem lettuces and/or whatever looks fresh on the market.
Hass avocado: Use ripe avocados that give a little when you squeeze them lightly. I put mine in the fridge as soon as they’re almost ripe, so I can make sure they don’t ripen too quickly.
Fresh herbs: A handful of chopped parsley, basil, fresh dill and/or fresh cilantro works well as a final garnish, but feel free to use your favorite combination of fresh herbs.
Raw sea salt: I like to use a crunchy, flaky sea salt in this recipe for texture and flavor.

An overhead shot of two hands holding a round plate full of avocado salad and anchovy-garlic vinaigrette

What can you serve with this avocado salad?

This avocado salad can be a healthy side dish for so many dishes! Here are some ideas:

How to store leftovers

Unfortunately, this salad doesn’t keep well in the refrigerator, even in an airtight container, because avocados brown easily. It will still taste great, but it will look unappetizing.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Go to my recipe index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017) and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

EASY TO PRINT RECIPE CARD

Prepare the vinaigrette

Heat a small, heavy-based pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the anchovies and a drizzle of their oil. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to help them break up.
Lower the heat and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic smells sweet and fragrant.
Whisk in the vinegar. Once boiling, add the shallots and cook for 20 seconds.
Remove the heat. Beat in the mustard.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste. Add more olive oil if it is too spicy. If it doesn’t emulsify immediately you can pour it into a jar and shake vigorously.

Make the avocado salad

Place the vegetables in a large, shallow dish. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt and drizzle with 2 tablespoons sauce.
Cut the avocados in half and pit them. Carefully peel off the skin.
Place the halves cut side up on the seasoned vegetables. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt. Pour a spoonful of vinaigrette into each avocado half.
Sprinkle fresh herbs and serve!

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.