Mixed Greens and Grapefruit Salad with Avocado Dressing

, from Issue #14. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Mixed Greens and Grapefruit Salad with Avocado Dressing

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

Salad
1 iceberg or cos lettuce
1 bunch watercress, thick stalks removed
100 grams snow peas, blanched
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1-2 pink grapefruit

Dressing
½ cup flat leaf parsley
½ cup mint leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 long red or green chilli, seeds removed
zest and juice 1 small lime
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
¼ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 ripe avocado
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish
1 tablespoon each flat leaf parsley and mint
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 spring onion, thinly sliced

METHOD

Salad: Tear the lettuce into large chunks and arrange all the salad greens in a serving bowl. Peel the grapefruit with a knife, removing all the white pith. Cut the flesh from between the membrane and add the segments to the salad greens.

Dressing: Put the flat leaf parsley, mint, garlic, chilli, lime zest and juice, cumin seeds and the sour cream in a food processor and blend to a paste. Add the avocado oil and blend again. Peel and stone the avocado and roughly chop. Add to the food processor and pulse to form a smooth dressing. Do not over process as this can create a bitter flavour. Season.

Garnish: Roughly chop the herbs, pine nuts and the spring onion together.

To serve: Scatter the pine nut mixture over the salad and serve the avocado dressing in a separate bowl. Serve the salad alongside grilled fish and meat or add chunks of cooked tuna to make a light meal. The dressing can also be served as a dip with crackers.