Hearts of Palm Salad is made with tender canned hearts of palm, creamy avocado, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers, all in a simple dressing.
This salad is simple but delicious. Jarred hearts of palm are creamy, salty, and slightly tangy. I love how the fresh cucumber offsets the flavor with its crisp texture and light flavor. Avocado adds more creaminess. The red onions start to get a little pickled after the salad sits for a little while. The flavor is just too good.
This salad is perfect for summer produce, and to bring to parties and potlucks!
Try these other fresh chopped salads like, Thai Cucumber Salad, or Mango Corn Salsa.
What are hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm come from the inner part, or core, of the palm tree. Hearts of palm are rarely eaten fresh. They are white in color and are found in the form of chubby sticks and look almost like a string cheese. You can find them in the canned foods aisle and they come either whole or sliced. I prefer to buy mine whole, as I often find they are better taste and texture that way.
The texture of hearts of palm is quite soft and creamy. And the flavor resembles that of a canned artichoke heart. They are high in fiber and protein, and low in fat.
Ingredients
- english cucumber
- extra virgin olive oil
- canned whole hearts of palm
- red onion
- cherry tomatoes
- avocado
- salt
- basil
- lemon juice
How to make hearts of palm salad
Step 1. To a mixing bowl, thinly sliced red onion and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top along with salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2. To the bowl, add large diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, avocado, and sliced hearts of palm.
Step 3. Add chopped basil and olive oil.
Step 4. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Variations
Some other veggies that would go well in this salad are shallot, garlic, artichoke hearts, red bell pepper, kalamata olives, and capers.
If you don't like basil, dill or parsley would work as good alternatives.
More hearts of palm recipes
Hearts of palm are an underutilized ingredient that is actually quite versatile. Hearts of palm are often used as vegan substitutes for seafood like crab and lobster. When used in dishes like like lobster rolls and crab cakes, the salty taste and soft texture of hearts of palm mimic seafood very well!
Some other recipes using hearts of palm include this Hearts of Palm Soup with Broccoli and Spicy Seared Hearts of Palm.
Did you enjoy this Hearts of Palm Salad? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I can't wait to hear from you!
Hearts of Palm Salad
Ingredients
- 1 english cucumber
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 15 oz. whole hearts of palm sliced
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado cubed
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup basil chiffonade
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, thinly sliced red onion and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top along with salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- To the bowl, add large diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, avocado, and sliced hearts of palm.
- Add chopped basil and olive oil.
- Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Jennifer
Can this recipe be canned?
Sarah
I don't have experience with canning this recipe, so I can't say for sure. But because of the avocado, I would lean towards no.
Loretta
How much cucumber? It isn’t even listed as an ingredient.
Sarah
Well that's a problem, isn't it? Thank you for bringing that to my attention, the recipe has been updated to include 1 english cucumber.
-Sarah