This Chicken Salad Sandwich uses avocado instead of mayo for a lighter, healthier twist. (Alex Gallegos/for The Gazette)

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People who know me now would be surprised to learn that when I was much younger, I didn’t really care for avocados. I look back on my younger, more foolish days and wonder what was wrong with me, because not only are avocados delicious, but they are also a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

Alas, sometimes my love of the incredible, edible avocado leaves me in somewhat of a precarious situation, with too many avocados on hand and too little time before they turn to the Dark Side and get a starring role in the compost bin instead.

Recipe

Avocado Mayo Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)

1 ripe avocado, diced

1/2 cup avocado oil

2 pounds cooked and cooled chicken

2 ribs celery

1 red onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Lettuce and bread of your choice

Directions

Start with the avocado mayo: in a jar slightly larger than the head of an immersion blender, put in the garlic, lemon juice and salt. Blend until very fine.

Add the avocado and blend again until a paste forms. With the blender running, drizzle the avocado oil in and slowly raise and lower the blender head a few times to thoroughly combine.

Finely dice chicken, celery and red onion, and mince the parsley. Add everything to a large bowl and toss with the avocado mayo, seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.

Assemble sandwiches with a leaf or two of a lettuce of your choice on a bread of your liking.

Source: Alex Gallegos

That’s where this recipe started. I had an avocado that was getting soft that I needed to find a use for post haste, and I already had a full container of homemade guacamole in the fridge. Avocados have a surprisingly high fat content for a non-animal product, and eggs are expensive right now anyway. So I wondered, could I make a quick mayonnaise using an avocado instead of an egg?

The answer turned out to be a resounding “Yes!” Which was exciting, but now I had a jar of a very creamy, lightly tangy mayo — and no plans for what I was going to do with it.

Springtime is always a good time for a nice chicken salad sandwich, and this one’s as simple as it gets. Chicken, onion, celery, salt and pepper, tossed in dressing. It’s one of those classic combinations that barely counts as a recipe. But, once I was done with it, it was missing a note of something fresh and herbal, so I added the chopped parsley, and that made all the difference. Use dried if that’s all you have, but I really do recommend you buy it fresh.

I know a lot of people swear by adding grapes to chicken salad. If you like that sort of thing, go for it. Personally, I don’t find the sweetness appealing in a savory dish like this one. If (and only if) I really wanted a little sweetness, I’d opt to add in a few tablespoons of sweet pickle relish instead. But, ultimately, it’s up to you.

Also up to you are the lettuce and bread to use. Romaine is my go-to for sandwiches, but iceberg would be just fine. For the bread, I recommend something not too hard to bite into, otherwise the filling will squeeze out the other side. I prefer a tasty sourdough, but some whole wheat sandwich bread would be delicious as well. Just pick something that sturdy that will hold up — this probably isn’t the time for Wonderbread.

Or, skip the bread entirely and serve on a bed of mixed greens for a light afternoon snack. Enjoy!

Alex Gallegos is an enthusiastic home cook who enjoys trying new recipes and learning new techniques. Find this recipe and others like it at PlatefulsOfFlavors.com.