Avocado Guasacaca Recipe (Venezuelan Wasakaka)

Think of guasacaca (wah-s-ca-ca) as Venezuela’s version of guacamole, only better. The herbs, pepper, vinegar, and fresh lime juice create a zesty and refreshing flavor.

• Simple ingredients that you can buy at the grocery store.
• This lighter version of guasacaca has no added oil.
• Like avocado green goddess dressing, guasacaca takes minutes to make in a blender or food processor.

Avocados. Guasacaca starts with an avocado base. You'll need 2 ripe avocados or use the equivalent of frozen avocado (not prepared guacamole).

Onion. Use half a small yellow onion. Substitute with green onions (white and stalks), red onion, or shallots.

Jalapenos. If you like spicy food, split and quarter the jalapeno. Otherwise, remove the seeds and yellow core.

Cilantro (coriander). Use the leaves and tender stems of your cilantro. I like lots of cilantro, so I usually Pile it into a measuring cup if you don’t feel comfortable eyeballing how much 1 cup is.

Parsley. Parsley adds a fresh, peppery flavor. I used flat-leaf parsley because it has a slightly less bold flavor than curly. Either will be fine.

Rice vinegar. Smooth, subtle rice vinegar is slightly sweeter than other types of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is the best substitute. Or use white wine, not plain white vinegar.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Make a less spicy version of this recipe by cutting the hot peppers and using a few drops of hot sauce. If you use extra chili powder, your sauce might not be bright green, similar to my avocado chipotle salad dressing.

Step 1: Add the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender.

Step 2: Process until smooth.

• Layer the ingredients from hardest to softest so the processor blade hits the biggest pieces first.
• Whenever you make a blender sauce like sun-dried tomato pesto or homemade date paste, it's always best to start blending at a slow speed, gradually increasing as the ingredients break down.
• Guasacaca benefits from having 5-10 minutes to set before serving. With that yummy bowl in front of you, it's a lot to ask, but time allows the flavors to build.

Serve guasacaca at room temperature as a dip or sauce. My favorite is dipping chips into this sauce, with slathering it on potato tortillas a close second. I try to keep it a little lighter using homemade corn tortillas.

It pairs well with creamy vegan sour cream, traditional jalapeno and tomato salsa fresca, or fresh mango pico de gallo for a festive taco bar.

Guasacaca is at its freshest a few minutes after making it. But you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Stir and add a little bit of lime juice to freshen it up.

Hard avocados should ripen within 4-5 days. You can speed up the process by storing them in a brown bag. You can also try adding an apple or banana to the bag. Be sure to check the avocados daily. You want to use them 2-3 days after they ripen.

Guasacaca has a different flavor than traditional Mexican guacamole. The infusion of vinegar, green pepper, parsley, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro often used in guacamole gives it a more complex taste. Both dishes highlight the rich buttery flavor of avocados but have contrasting ingredients and flavor profiles.

Hard avocados should ripen within 4-5 days. You can speed up the process by storing them in a brown bag. You can also try adding an apple or banana to the bag. Be sure to check the avocados daily. You want to use them 2-3 days after they ripen.

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