You can take your guacamole to the next level just by adding one vegetable that most leave out.

Guacamole is a staple ingredient in many Mexican dishes such as fajitas and tacos, but it can also be used as a side dish in its own right. It’s especially delicious when used to top salads or to dip tortilla chips into as an accompaniment to a summer barbecue.

The dip is mainly made using avocado as its base, but almost all recipes also include tomato, onion, and lime juice to make the dish delicious and fresh-tasting.

However, if you want to really make your dish stand out from the rest, consider adding one vegetable to your next bowl of homemade guacamole. It’s something that’s regularly added to guacamole in traditional recipes but is often omitted from the versions you can buy pre-made at the supermarkets.

A woman named Gabi Scavarda shared the recipe on TikTok, where she said she has been using the same method for over 10 years, after picking up when she worked at the Mexican restaurant chain, Chipotle.

In her video, Gabi started by cutting open four avocados, adding the flesh to a bowl, and using a potato masher to break down the avocado until it reaches a pulp-like consistency.

She then chopped one whole red onion and added it to the bowl along with the juice of one lime and a handful of coriander that she finely chopped while declaring she “always hated” cutting the herb at work because of how fiddly it can be.

Then, it was time for her secret ingredient – jalapeño chillies. These can be picked up from supermarkets for as little as 65p.

Gabi added three green chillies, along with the seeds, to her guacamole. The number of chillies – and whether to remove or leave the seeds – can be altered depending on how spicy you want your dip.

Gabi’s guacamole was done after salt and pepper was sprinkled over the top. However, she noted in the comments that she would have added chopped fresh tomatoes if she could have found any at the supermarket.

Jalapeños are a common ingredient in guacamole, so adding them doesn’t reinvent the dish. Not all recipes include them, but they are considered a traditional addition – even though store-bought versions usually omit them.

Commenters on Gabi’s video were thankful for her recipe, with some saying they would be trying it out themselves as soon as possible. Others, however, couldn’t get past the lack of tomatoes in her dish.

One person said: “Thanks for sharing!” But another declared: “It’s not guacamole without tomatoes.”