Sinus-Clearing Ginger Wasabi Guacamole Recipe

When developer Tess Le Moing is trying to come up with a new recipe, one of the things she does is post a poll on her Instagram stories offering a choice of ideas. She tells us that this ginger-wasabi guacamole recipe was a big winner with her followers, and says she was excited to create it because, as she explains, the Mexican-Japanese fusion dish "felt like it was an homage to my diverse heritage of San Diego."

Le Moing describes this condiment as being a "classic guac," but one with "a fun twist." As she tells us, "I feel like this could be a guac you'd discover at Trader Joe's [because] it's such a fun and unexpected combo of flavors." She says she recently made a batch and brought it to a picnic, where it was a big hit and everyone asked for the recipe. Well, picnic attendees and others, here you go. Not only is this Asian-spiced guacamole fresh, flavorful, and healthy, but Le Moing assures us it's also "really easy to make."

This guacamole starts off with a standard base of avocados mixed with scallions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. What makes it really stand out, though, is the addition of pickled ginger and wasabi paste.

Pile the scallions, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and minced pickled ginger on a cutting board and chop until finely minced.

Add salt and use the edge of a sharp knife blade to smear the mixture into a texture that's almost paste-like.

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl.

Add the scallion-ginger mixture, wasabi, lime juice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.

Mash with a fork to the desired smooth or chunky texture.

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with thinly sliced pickled ginger and reserved scallion tops, thinly sliced.

"Because it's so different," says Le Moing, "it's best served simple so you can really taste the unique flavor combination." She suggests this guacamole as a dip for plain tortilla chips, but says it could also be used with raw vegetables. "I think cucumbers would be best," she advises, explaining that their plain flavor will showcase the dip.

If you would prefer to use it as a condiment rather than a dip, she suggests that it could be used with tuna or salmon steaks or on burgers. She also feels that it would work well with sushi since both the wasabi and pickled ginger are typical sushi accompaniments. As for using it with tacos, she notes, "One of my favorite sushi fillings is shrimp tempura, so a shrimp taco with this guac would be killer." She says the condiment could also work well with beef or chicken tacos, but says that she herself skips the cheese when using it. If you do feel that cheese is an indispensable part of your tacos, though, she throws out there: "You could try it with cotija which I think would add a nice saltiness to it without overpowering too much."

While Le Moing feels that "guacamole is best made right before serving," she acknowledges that this isn't always going to be possible. As guacamole has a tendency to turn brown when kept in the refrigerator, she offers up two different methods for keeping it fresh and green. In one method, you'll press a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the guacamole before sealing it in an airtight container. As she explains, "This will reduce exposure to air and slow down browning caused by oxidation."

An alternate method that Le Moing has found success with involves initially omitting the lime juice from the recipe. Squeeze the lime juice, but keep it to one side until the rest of the ingredients are combined. Pour the juice over the top of the guacamole before refrigerating it, then stir it into the mashed avocados and all of the other ingredients right before you serve the dip.