Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Hemp Hearts and Pepitas

Double the crunch of a perfect avocado salad with the addition of both hemp hearts and pepitas, and make it sing with crumbled goat cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.
Cucumber and avocado salad with hemp hearts and pepitas

Using avocado as a main ingredient in my salads is nothing new, and this Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Hemp Heart and Pepitas is the latest version on my table. The addition of pepitas (pumpkin seeds), crumbled goat cheese and a hearty squeeze of lime juice gives a simple dinner staple a fresh lift.

Cucumber and avocado salad with hemp hearts and pepitas

Avocado Salads

My fetish with avocado-based salads started because there was a time when I just didn’t like salad greens. Blame it on the dinner salads in my 1980s home made with tasteless iceberg lettuce and bottled Italian dressing. It was an obligatory part of many meals that I hated. When I was old enough to say no, I did. For years after that I never even glanced at the salad offerings on menus.

This was LONG before avocados were even on my radar, and certainly before they were readily available in grocery stores.

A perfect California avocado

Love Affair

Once I discovered the avocado, my love affair blossomed slowly over time until one day I realized that I was building salads and sandwiches around the avocado and everything else was secondary.

BAT (Bacon, Avocado and Tomato) Sandwich
Bacon and Avocado Sandwich on Pumpernickel

Saladless Salads

Avocado and Arugula Salad with Hemp Hearts

I wanted to find ways to add texture to my salads, which is how hemp hearts came into play. You can pretty much use any chopped nut to top an avocado but there are also options like chia seeds and furikake (more on furikake coming soon).

My go-to crunchy topping of choice besides hemp hearts are Go Raw sprouted pepitas with sea salt.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Hemp Hearts and Pepitas

Cucumber and avocado salad with hemp hearts and pepitas

Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Hemp Hearts and Pepitas

Double the crunch of a perfect avocado salad with the addition of both hemp hearts and pepitas, and make it sing with crumbled goat cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Salad
Keyword: avocado, goat cheese, hemp hearts, olive oil, pepitas
Servings: 2
Calories: 616kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado, cut in half and pitted
  • 1/2 cucumber, halved lenthwise and sliced
  • 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp hemp hearts
  • 4 tbsp sprouted pumpkin seeds or pepitas

Instructions

  • Scoop out each half of the avocado and place each half in a small salad bowl. Top each with half of the cucumber, crumbled goat cheese, hemp hearts and pepitas. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of good olive oil and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5avocado | Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 7mg
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Published by Jenny G

I'm sipping coffee in the morning, reading a cookbook for fun. Always planning my next trip and what I'll eat when I get there. Hoping to inspire others who share my love of cooking and eating, and to celebrate the wonderous diversity of food. I love to explore the world so I'll share my best itineraries and travel tips. Of course, sometimes I'd rather be snuggled up with a glass of wine and a good book so let's discuss those here too. And don't forget to feed the birds!

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