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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Don't let the title of this salad fool you. I'm not sure where the "Mexican"part comes in...yes, there's avocado, cilantro, and lime, but this salad is much more versatile than the name suggests. We enjoyed it as part of a Mexican meal, with the Black Bean Coconut Rice and chicken fajitas (which I'll post tomorrow!), but it would be a great salad alongside many meals.

The other Mexican Salad on my blog is a bit more traditionally Mexican, and is heavier with the feta and black beans. My mom commented on how light this was and I have to agree! Arugula haters could substitute spring mix or spinach, but I thought the spicy greens were the perfect match for the other ingredients. We couldn't find pomegranate juice and instead my mom bought some Pomegranate Blueberry juice from Trader Joe's which worked just as well! I adjusted the ingredient quantities for the salad but made just one batch of dressing and the salad was plenty dressed. My version is posted below, and probably serves 6-8.

Mexican or not, this salad is a new favorite!

One Year Ago: Creamy Caper Sauce
Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing
adapted from Cooking Light, November 2005


Ingredients:
-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
-2 tbsp fresh pomegranate juice
-1 tsp sugar
-3/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp ground cumin
-1 small garlic clove, minced
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 package (5 oz.) arugula leaves
-2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut peeled jicama
-3/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
-2 diced & peeled avocados
-4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
-1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
-4 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
1. Mix together the lime juice, pomegranate juice, sugar, salt, cumin, garlic, and olive oil. Whisk to combine.
2. In a large bowl toss arugula, jicama, red onion, avocados, cilantro, pom seeds, and pine nuts. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.