Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe from her cookbook, Latin Grilling. It's part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious.

　　Salad greens are hard to come by in Cuban cooking. But an avocado salad—simply made by topping sliced avocado with red onion slices, olive oil, and vinegar—is both traditional and refreshing.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

　　1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

　　1 cup red wine vinegar

　　1 Florida avocado or 2 Hass avocados (about 1 pound total), sliced

　　1 tablespoon highest-quality extra-virgin olive oil

　　Salt and black pepper

　　

Marinate the onion

Step 1

Place the onion slices and vinegar in a resealable plastic bag, press out as much air as possible, and close the bag. Alternatively, place the onion and vinegar in a small bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ingredients so that the onion slices remain submerged in the vinegar. Allow the onion to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

　　

Assemble the salad and serve

Step 2

Reserve a few tablespoons of the vinegar used to marinate the onion before draining the onion slices and setting aside. Place the avocado slices on a serving platter and top with the red onion slices. Drizzle the oil and reserved red wine vinegar over the salad and season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　Cooking notes

　　Ingredients

　　Florida versus Hass avocados

　　Cubans tend to use Florida avocados since these are more widely available in the Caribbean and in Miami. They are larger than the California or Hass variety, and they remain green when ripe, in contrast to Hass, which are dark green, almost black, when ripe.

　　Florida avocados have a milder flavor due to their higher water content, and they are ready to eat as soon as they yield to pressure when squeezed lightly.

　　Techniques

　　Marinating onions

　　Allowing raw onions to marinate in vinegar or another highly acidic liquid mellows out the strong flavor and softens its texture.

　　Slicing an avocado

　　Start by slicing the avocado in half lengthwise with a large knife and, once you hit the seed in the center, move your knife along its perimeter. Open the avocado by gently twisting and pulling on each half.

　　Remove the seed by tapping it with the sharp edge of your knife, causing the knife to become wedged into the seed. Twist the knife a bit to dislodge the seed from the flesh.

　　Finally, slice the avocado by taking the tip of your knife and drawing straight lines through the flesh of each avocado half, making sure the tip of the knife reaches the skin of the avocado. The closer the lines, the thinner the slices. Use a spoon to scoop out the sliced avocado.

　　Advance preparation

　　The onions can be left marinating up to a few days in advance. However, while the oil and vinegar help slow down the browning of the avocado's flesh, it's best to slice the avocado shortly before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Latin Grilling by Lourdes Castro, © 2011 Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.A Miami native, Lourdes Castro has served as a personal chef and nutritionist for high-profile clients, such as Cristina Saralegui and professional athletes, and as an associate of the James Beard Foundation. A highly regarded Latin chef and cooking teacher, Castro is the author of Simply Mexican and Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish. She currently teaches food science at New York University and is the director of the Culinary Academy at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. Find out more at Lourdescastro.com