Avocado, Grapefruit Salad with Toasted Georgia Pecans

  • From Carolyn O'Neil

Ingredients

  • Salad
    • 1-2 heads bibb lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
    • 1 bunch arugula, torn into bite sized pieces
    • 2 Haas avocados, ripe but firm, peeled and cubed
    • 2 ruby red or pink grapefruits, peeled and segmented, reserve excess juice
    • 1/2 cup toasted Georgia Pecan halves (toasted in a sauté pan)
    • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • Grapefruit Vinaigrette
    • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
    • juice from segmented grapefruit (approx 3 tablespoons)
    • Fresh ground salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Sure, we should be eating more salads. But folks often say, “I don’t want another boring salad!” So, to make them more acceptable, they’re often gussied up with shredded cheese, fried croutons, bacon crumbles and lots of salad dressing.

So let’s toss a healthy salad that’s appealing to all of the senses – beautiful to look at, delicious to taste with the refreshing aromas of citrus and a satisfying crunch from heart healthy, antioxidant rich Georgia Pecans.

Simply Beautiful Salad: Add beauty and interest to a salad with healthy, colorful, crunchy ingredients and choose dark greens with flavor punch. Avocados sub for the cheese, toasted Georgia pecans sub for the crunch of croutons and flavor hit of bacon. (You could even use smoked pecans.) Vinaigrette is made with fresh grapefruit juice from the segmented grapefruit and red wine vinegar. This is a gorgeous salad.

Nutrition Note: Healthy fats come from pecans, avocados and the olive oil based vinaigrette. Vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and other plant nutrients are in the grapefruit, greens, avocado and Georgia Pecans.

Salad

  1. On large platter arrange the lettuce and arugula
  2. On the bed of greens arrange the avocado and grapefruit segments
  3. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over the entire salad
  4. Garnish with toasted Georgia Pecans
  5. Add final garnish of minced parsley