I have, as I am sure you have as well, encountered many versions of mediocre guacamole in my life.

Here is my issue with guacamole, in general.

Let me walk you through it
1. Avocados are, when at their best, unbelievable. There is nothing like them… Creamy, sweet, fresh and high in nutrition and good fats.
2. Guacamole SEEMS like a perfect vehicle for delightful avocados. You can only eat so many of them just straight, or tossed in a salad or mushed on a sandwich. They are a great vehicle for a veggies in baby food as well. But I digress.
3. Most guacamole that I have come across looks and smells like it will represent those glorious avocados well. And it invariably disappoints. It’s muddy, drab, over jalapeño’ or garlic’d, under or over salted and usually turning a dirty dishwater shade of brown in front of my eyes. Gross.

I came across a trick (I think it is a trick, really, and it is from from new york’s restaurant called ABC Cocina) for changing guacamole for the better, and I think it really works. Peas.
Yes… Peas. Green peas.
Yep. Really. When added in the way I describe below, the avocado’s freshness and sweetness really shines. And bonus – it stays green longer. This approach might sound bad to you… Truly offensive. My dear friend Marie, who never says a bad word about anyone, EVER, literally wrinkled her nose and said “ew, that sounds disgusting” when I mentioned this recipe. Then she tried it. She is a convert too. Please- just give it a try, aren’t you curious?

Guacamole

4 avocados
3/4 cup frozen peas
3 fresh jalapeños
1 medium to small tomato (around 6 ounces), chopped
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds
Kosher salt

Tortilla chips, for serving. This is also a great condiment for nachos, taco salad. Sandwiches, burritos, enchiladas, etc.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the frozen peas in it for one minute, drain, and dump into the bowl of a food processor.
De-stem the rinsed and dried fresh cilantro and toss it into the food processor with the peas.
Char 2 of the jalapeños either in your oven on broil or directly over the flame of your gas stove. Once blackened, put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the pepper will sweat as it cools and loosed the skin). Once cool enough to handle, wearing gloves, peel off and discard the skin as well as the stem and seeds. Put the roasted pepper flesh, coarsely chopped, into the food processor. Add the raw jalapeño, de-stemmed and de-seeded as well into the food processor. Make sure to keep the gloves on the whole time you are hand,I got the jalapeños!
Add 1 teaspoon salt and lime juice into the food processor. Purée peas, cilantro, peppers, and salt until relatively smooth.

Coarsely chop avocado flesh in a bowl and gently mix in lime juice, chopped tomato, pea mixture, and salt to taste. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and more kosher salt to taste and serve with chips. Beware – it’s addictive!