Tomato salad with avocado and dukkah seasoning is the perfect balance of savoury and fresh, and an unforgettable introduction to the world of dukkah.
There are those flavours you taste once, only to never forget again. The perfect balance of sweet and salty, of musky and fresh; the varied textures, playing on your tongue like a impatient children caught in a game of hide-and-seek; the final 'pop' of acidity that hits you at the end, making your whole mouth sing with joy.
That's what dukkah was like for me. And that's why I couldn't wait to share it with you in this tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasoning.
I first discovered dukkah seasoning through 101 Cookbooks. It then began to pop everywhere - from Smitten Kitchen to Lottie + Doof, everyone had their own take on this Egyptian spice mixture.
So I started digging in dipper. I scoured webpages with recipes in Hebrew and in English, discovered that the Egyptian Jews make their dukkah with peanuts instead of walnuts or hazelnuts, and that the quality of sesame is nearly as important as the balance of flavours in this dish. I became obsessed with dukkah (which, as you may remember, is not unusual for me).
And yet, I never tried making it.
I don't know what was wrong with me; I either never made the time, or just didn't have the right ingredients on hand (until recently, the only way sesame seeds made it through my door was in tahini form). Whatever the case may be, dukkah remained something I had heard of, but never tried.
Don't feel like making your own? This is my favorite storebought Egyptian Dukkah spice mix.
And then two weekends ago, the first weekend with G away, I took myself out to brunch at a local hip cafe that I've been dying to check out. I ordered the avocado toast with dukkah, and a soy cappuccino. And from the moment I took a bite of this sandwich, my world changed.
The combination of creamy avocado with the deeply seasoned, pungent & nutty dukkah was unforgettable. Tiny fronds of dill elevated the dish, bringing in a whiff of freshness to the whole arrangement. It honestly was one of the best flavour combinations I've ever had.
Immediately after this brunch, I went to the market and got all of the ingredients for this tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasoning. A plan began hatching in my mind: I knew I wanted to pair avocado with this season's best tomatoes, fleshy heirlooms that were just starting to hit their peak. I wanted dill so fresh, it would stand on its own, even without a drop of water. And most importantly, I wanted all the makings of a perfect Egyptian dukkah.
The end result, this tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasoning, is so much more than the same of its parts. My peanut dukkah is redolent with subdued heat and earthiness, the cumin mixing with the pepper and sesame. The whole dish is seasoned with just a few drops of fruity extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, to balance out the avocado and tomatoes and let them shine.
You truly need the best ingredients for this simple salad, but it will blow you away. Because once you taste this tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasonings, you'll wonder where it's been your whole life.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasoning
Ingredients
- Dukkah seasoning makes about 1 cup:
- 4 TBs sesame seeds
- 3 TBs coriander seeds
- 2 TBs cumin seeds
- 1 TB black peppercorns
- ยฝ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon dry green mint
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For salad:
- 1 avocado
- 3 to matoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh dill to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a pan to medium heat. Roast sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Roast coriander & cumin seeds and peppercorns until fragrant. Set aside and let cool.
- Once cooled, combine the seeds with the rest of the dukkah ingredients, and mill in a spice grinder or or pulse in a food processor until a coarse mixture develops (take care not to overprocess, or you'll be left with a paste). Pack in a jar.
- Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and avocado, and arrange on a large platter. Sprinkle with dukkah, fresh dill, and season with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Let macerate for just 2 minutes, and serve. Set the dukkah seasoning mixture at the table, so people can generously season their own plates.
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
Well, you convinced me! I've never had Dukkah. Like you, it is one of those things that has remained in the back of my consciousness, until today. You have brought it to the forefront. This recipe is going to be on my grocery list. I already have the greatest heirloom tomatoes so I'm half-way there! As usual, beautiful writing.
kseniaprints says
Let me know if you ever made it to making it! I think taking that final step is SO worth it; I've sprinkled dukkah on just about every salad I've eaten since making this one.
Kellie MacMillan says
Wow, these combos of flavors make my mouth water. I've heard of dukkah before but haven't had it before and that will be something I have to change. Unless you want to send me some in the mail. ha,ha.
I was working on a recipe today and was thinking the exact same thing as you, 'You truly need the best ingredients for this simple salad, but it will blow you away. Because once you taste this tomato avocado salad with dukkah seasonings, youโll wonder where itโs been your whole life.'
I was away on vacation and had some pretty bland food, it was so nice to get home and have the food dance on my palate just by using great quality ingredients.
kseniaprints says
I would love to send you some in the mail! Maybe for the holidays?? You should send me an email with your address, actually.
Where did you go that was bland? That would break my heart. I have to say that as much as I love travelling, I sometimes love coming back home to my kitchen even more.
Mom says
Njami,, really testy)ะฟัะธะฒะตั ะธะท ะะพะปะณะฐัะธะธ)) ัะบััะฐะตะผ ะฟะพ ัะฒะพะตะผั avocado salad)) autor - Grisha)))
kseniaprints says
I'll let Grisha know you miss his guac ๐
Katie @ Whole Nourishment says
This is my kind of salad, Ksenia! Gorgeous, love the dill in it too. There are so many variations of dukkah and I liked learning what you found in your research to be most authentic. ๐
kseniaprints says
I wouldn't say I found it most authentic - but it was the one I felt was closest to my roots and background (being the one most often used in Israel). This one is rather savoury, though - I imagine using hazelnuts or walnuts, or adding cinnamon to the mix would make it sweeter.
Jason Sandeman says
I had to look up the first set of ingredients in google translate. LOL. I have never heard of Dukkah before, but after today I am putting it on the list to try. I love finding out new flavors, so a bit of research is in order for me here. Thank you for introducing me to it!
kseniaprints says
Haha, glad I could introduce you to something new, though my apologies you had to resort to Google translator! ๐