The Best Basic Guacamole

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 serrano chili, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup picked cilantro leaves, finely chopped, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes

Directions

1. Put the onion, chili, half the cilantro leaves, and the salt into a mortar. Work it with the pestle until you have a fine paste. If you’d rather use a machine, add the onion, chili, half the cilantro, salt, and half of the lime juice to a food processor or blender, then puree until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
2. Cut each avocado in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash it roughly with a sturdy whisk.
3. Add the onion/chili puree, the remaining cilantro leaves, and half of the lime juice if you used the mortar and pestle method. Fold everything together.
4. Taste and adjust with more salt and lime juice. Bring it to the table right away with warm tortilla chips.