I don’t usually follow a prescribed recipe when making salads, so consider this post inspiration as well as a quick how-to for making a simple, delicious dressing for any green salad. Generally we use whatever combination of greens we have available with a nut or seed to add crunch and either fruit or additional veggies. Then our homemade dressing elevates the salad to the next level.

For our Easter brunch we made this lovely salad and it hit all the right notes for me. Leafy green spinach with the fresh peppery zip of arugula as our base paired with toasted pine nuts, sliced red onion, grapefruit and berries. It wasn’t until college that I discovered the wonders of grapefruit in a green salad, but ever since then, I’ve been hooked. The slightly sweet, acidic bite it adds to the greens is a perfect combination. Additionally, by adding a little vitamin C to your leafy greens, it helps your body better absorb the plant-based iron. So all that to say, if you can find some grapefruit, add it to your next salad. The bright citrus flavor with our arugula makes for a perfect pairing!

How to make a simple salad dressing

The secret to a good salad is in the dressing. And it is sooo simple to make your own, delicious, healthy dressing that you just may never go back to store-bought dressings again. Start with a high quality, extra-virgin olive oil. I recently received an amazing blood orange infused olive oil as a gift, so we used that as our base, but any good olive oil will work well.

Next you need to add your acid. Often recipes call for a balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. All of which make great dressings, but my personal go-to is usually fresh lemon juice. Oil and vinegar do not naturally mix, so you need to add an emulsifier to help the dressing come together in the end. I like to add a bit of dijon mustard, but a whole grain mustard is really good also.

We always add minced garlic for the taste as well as for its immune-boosting properties. I’ll often add a dash of honey or maple syrup to bring a bit of sweetness to the dressing, but it’s definitely optional if you’re trying to avoid sugar. Then a dash of salt, pepper and any fresh herbs to finish it off. I almost always make dressing in a small mason jar so that I can simply put the lid on, shake it up and already have it in a storage container if we don’t use it all in one sitting.

So I hope you use this recipe as inspiration for your next great salad!

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Grapefruit arugula salad

A bright, refreshing salad with a delicious homemade dressing

Course Salad

Keyword Arugula, Dressing, Grapefruit, Spinach

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups arugula
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup red onion sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
• 1 grapefruit peeled and sectioned
• 1/4 cup berries

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• salt, pepper and herbs to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and assemble the greens.

2. Toast the pine nuts on stove in a dry pan for about 5 minutes. Watch them closely and move the pan frequently to prevent them from burning. Remove from heat as soon as you see them starting to turn brown. They go from not quite ready to burnt in a matter of seconds.

3. Add red onion slices, grapefruit sections and berries and toss the salad

Dressing

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small mason jar, attach and lid and shake! You may also use a whisk to mix if you prefer, but shaking is just more fun…and an easy job for the kids.