Peruvian stuffed avocados {smoked trout + hearts of palm}

Peruvian stuffed avocados – so simple and delicious, stuffed with smoked trout and hearts of palm, these avocados are a great starter, or even a light meal in the summer.

Ever since we came back from our trip to Peru, I’ve been experimenting with Peruvian recipes.  Peruvian cuisine is fantastic, and it was a true gastronomical adventure for us. I was quite inspired by their creative combination of ingredients, and wanted to recreate some of its magic at home, to keep our whole trip alive in my mind as much as possible.

Palta Rellena (stuffed avocados) are a common appetizer in Peru. Traditionally Peruvians stuff them with chicken or tuna salad, with chopped cooked carrots, peas or other veggies.  They’re quite delicious, and filling, as normally you get both halves of the avocado, piled with the stuffing, and slathered in mayonnaise sauce.

The recipe I’m sharing today features an ingredient, common to the Amazon jungle region – hearts of palm. This is the inner core of the palm tree, and it is widely used in salads in Peru. It is firm in texture and slightly crunchy, and it has a mild flavor, very similar to that of artichoke hearts. In the U.S. you can find hearts of palm in jars or cans, and they are a wonderful addition to any salad.

I usually buy both the smoked trout, and the hearts of palm from my local Trade Joe’s. If you cannot find smoked trout, try hot-smoked salmon. The smokiness goes really well with the mild acidity of the palm hearts.

I love the simplicity and versatility of this recipe.  You can serve it as a fancy appetizer that took you just 20 minutes to make, or you can chop the avocado, add it to the rest of the ingredients, and make yourself a great lunch salad.

You might also like some of these summer appetizers:
Eggplant hummus wraps with smoky tomato confit
Burrata with figs, honey and salted walnuts
Eggplant dip

Print

Peruvian Stuffed Avocados with smoked trout and hearts of palm

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Peruvian Stuffed Avocados - simple and delicious, these avocados are stuffed with smoked trout, and hearts of palm, and are a great appetizer, or light main.

Course: Appetizer, Snack / Appetizer

Cuisine: Peruvian

Keyword: avocado, hearts of palm, trout

Servings: 6

Calories: 345 kcal

Author: Recipe inspired by The Everything Peruvian Cookbook

Ingredients

• 3 medium avocados
• 1 1/2 cup chopped smoked trout (substitute with hot smoked salmon)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped hearts of palm (may substitute with artichoke hearts)
• 6 Tbs mayonnaise
• 3 Tbs chopped red onions
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tbs chopped parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lime
• chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

1. Remove the skin of the smoked trout, and finely chop.

2. Drain the hearts of palm, and dice into small bits (1/4" or smaller)

3. Chop the red onion, chives, parsley, and cherry tomatoes

4. Mix the fish, hearts of palm, the onion, parsley and tomatoes with the mayonnaise, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

5. Cut each avocado in half, and peel the skin off, leaving the flesh intact.  Scoop some of the inside to make space for the filling (use a melon baller).  Squeeze some lime juice in each half, and sprinkle with salt.  

6. Fill each avocado half with about 2 round tablespoons of the filling, and garnish with chopped chives, and/or more parsley.