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Italian Guacamole

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Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

Oh my guac.

Guys, I have literally made hundreds of batches of guacamole over the years. Hundreds and hundreds. I’ve made single batches for myself. I’ve made huge batches for parties. I even choose to do most of my grocery shopping at the “Mexican” grocery store near me almost entirely because they have always have a bin of huge, ripe avocados waiting for me. And then once you come home with a bag of avocados each week, you’ve got to use them up quickly, right??

Most of the time I stick to my favorite (and humbly named) perfect guacamole recipe. Occasionally I’ll experiment with other ingredient combos, like my favorite chili/mango or bacon/smoked blue cheese guacamole recipes. But frankly, I’ve never found anything that comes close to the original in my mind…until now. Yes, I’m talking about Italian guacamole.

Italian guacamole!!!

Seriously, in all of my avocado-mashing, chip-dipping, guac-loving years, I have no idea how I never even considered swapping out fresh cilantro for fresh basil. But when I found myself with three perfectly ripe avocados a few weeks ago and zero cilantro in sight, my eyes landed instead on the pot of fresh basil sitting on the counter. So I decided to give it a whirl. And I am so glad I did.

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

I know, I know, Italian guacamole — or basil guacamole — is nothing new to many people. I figured that out as soon as I googled it after devouring half of the bowl. But to this guac lover, it was Kind Of A Big Deal. (Oh, and crazy delicious.)

So for anyone else who has yet to veer from the classic or Mexi-based guacamole recipes, I had to share my discovery with you today. Here’s how to make it:

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

The ingredients are similar to classic guacamole, featuring avocados, red onion, jalapeno, tomato and salt. But for the Italian twist, I added in fresh basil (in place of cilantro), fresh garlic (because, garlic) and lemons instead of limes (although either will work). For those looking to go the extra mile, you could also add in sun-dried tomatoes (in place of fresh romas) and sprinkle the guac with some toasted pine nuts and/or Parmesan cheese.

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

But I only had ingredients handy for classic guacamole with an Italian twist.

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

So I mashed them all together…

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

…took a taste…

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

…and then proceeded to “taste test” nearly the entire rest of the bowl. You know, for research’s sake. ;)

Seriously, though, I am very protective of good avocados and I was verrrry hesitant to donate them to this little “experiment”. But the second I gave it a taste, I decided it was ridiculous that the Mexican flavor profile should take complete claim of this classic dip. The fresh basil and garlic tasted absolutely perfect alongside the other ingredients! Neither were overpowering, but they were definitely noticeable and gave a completely different fresh and delicious twist to this beloved dip.

It’s perfect for spreading on paninis and such. It’s perfect for adding to some Italian nachos. But most of all, it’s absolutely perfect for dipping.

Trust me on this one. I have a feeling it’s going to completely rock your guac-loving world. :)

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Italian Guacamole

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  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

This Italian twist on guacamole is highlighted with lots of fresh basil and garlic.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
  • 1 roma tomato, cored and finely chopped (or 3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
  • pinch of coarse black pepper

Instructions

  1. Mash together all ingredients together with a fork until combined. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
  2. Serve immediately, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap (so that the plastic is literally touching the entire top layer of the guacamole) and refrigerate.

Italian Guacamole -- fresh basil is the rockstar of this delicious twist on classic guacamole | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer #dip #glutenfree #vegan

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52 comments on “Italian Guacamole”

  1. I love this idea because cilantro doesn’t last as long as basil and I always find I’m out of cilantro but my Basil plant is going strong.

  2. Basil guacamole is definitely new to me, but I’m intrigued! I’m glad you experimented for the rest of us. :)

  3. You know I’m on team cilantro (obviously) but my aunt despises this – this would be PERFECT for her!!

  4. I am not a cilantro fan — I love basil so much more. This is perfect!

  5. Oddly enough, I have not been able to buy cilantro in the grocery store for the last few weeks. Guess it’s time to try basil in my guac! Love it!!

  6. I’m always up for a big bowl of guacamole! The flavors in this sound pretty fabulous… And your photos are so beautiful!

  7. I love guac but I’ve never been a huge fan of cilantro so this recipe is perfect for me!

  8. This is ingenious. I like getting creative and swapping ingredients in classic recipes. Toasted walnuts makes a great alternative for pine nuts in homemade basil.

  9. love the garlic and basil!!! trying this soon, Ali!!

  10. Ooh love the idea of adding sun dried tomatoes to this too….looks great!

  11. It’s like you took genius to a whole other level with this recipe!

  12. Ahh yum. I am such a fool for any kinds of guacamole, this sounds fantastic!! I have to try adding basil to mine the next time I make it.

  13. I have a few friends that are not fans of cilantro, but like guacamole. This seems like an amazing way to really push em over the edge! I love the classics, but I also LOVE basil. What a yummy idea! :)

  14. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! I love Italian food so this twist on the classic? RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!

  15. I need an entire bowl of this in front of my face STAT. :)

  16. Instead of lime juice, try white vine vinegar. Also I add grated parmesan and pine nuts, just a thought.

  17. I make a salad that uses avocado, lemon juice, and basil. It is fantastic! It sounds a little strange, but it really is a great combo!

  18. Incredibly delicious! I love the Italian twist!

  19. I am not a huge fan of cilantro. I love this concept and I cannot wait to try it!!!!!

  20. I love the basil and garlic in this, so good!

  21. fresh basil in a guac – very nice. this will be perfect time to use my basil from the mini garden.

  22. You are such a smartie, and this goes so well with NACHOS *wink* XO

  23. I definitely never thought of this either! But I’m excited to try it because I always have basil on hand, but rarely have cilantro. I like the idea of sundried tomatoes too. Yum!

  24. I love good old guacamole, and have experimented with different additions, but never thought of adding basil. Now really must try it, thank you for the suggestion! It sounds wonderful

  25. Hi Ali,
    We are doing a guacamole roundup on Friday for Guacamole Day and wondered if we could include a link to your recipe in our post. We would also like to use your picture and will feature it with your blog’s name.
    Thanks so much.

  26. Hello. I made this today and my tummy is full of it as I type. I feel like a rock star. MY HUSBAND loved it. We could barely stop eating it. THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is my go-to Guac for Life!

  27. Really good recipe. My family enjoyed this healthy snack.

    I will be making a batch for Christmas.

  28. This is an Awesome twist to a Guacamole! Love this recipe! Thank you