Tangy Avocado, Grapefruit, and Pomegranate Salad

Avocado, Grapefruit and Pomegranate Salad

I owe this tangy, satisfying salad all to my husband.  I’ll be the first to admit that these days, when I think about what to make for dinner, I think about meat. Mmmm, meat. That sometimes has the unfortunate side-effect, however, of leaving my vegetarian hubby out in the cold. Being that I’ve only recently come to enjoy the greener spectrum of foods, P.J. has been a great resource for figuring out tasty new veggie-friendly dishes, and he’s always game to experiment with whatever’s fresh.

On this particular occasion, we had been to the Farmers Market that morning and picked up some yummy local pomegranates…inspiration! This salad is his creation… it’s got a really nice tang to it, and the pomegranate seeds and almonds add a nice crunch of texture.  Follow the jump for the recipe!

Tangy Avocado, Grapefruit, and Pomegranate Salad
Quantity: 4-6 servings
Time: 15 minutes prep, no cooking!
Paleo Grade: A (gluten-free, dairy-free, lots of good fats)
Vegetarian Adaptation: None needed!

• 4 small or 3 large ripe avocados
• 2 grapefruit
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 small shallots
• handful of blanched, sliced almonds
• good olive oil
• sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

1. Begin by pitting and cubing the avocado into 3/4″ chunks.  Add to large mixing bowl.
2. Next, you’ll separate the seeds from the pomegranate.  Start by quartering the fruit, cutting through the head of the pomegranate. Use your hands to scrape/separate the seeds from the rind and place in a bowl of water.  The remaining rinds will float to the top where you can discard. Drain clean pomegranate seeds and set aside.
   

   Tangy Pomegranate Seeds

3. Next, you’ll cut up the grapefruit.  Don’t peel it first! Use a sharp knife to cut into eighths and then use a sharp knife to separate the peel from the fruit, eliminating the white inner “skin.”
4. At this point, you can halve each of your grapefruit slices to make more manageable bites. Add grapefruit to bowl with cubed avocado.
5. Peel and thinly slice 1-2 shallots to taste, and add to grapefruit/avocado mixture.
   

   Sliced Shallots

6. Add pomegranate seeds and almonds to avocado mixture, drizzle with good olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and gently toss to coat.
7. Transfer to your serving dish or directly to your plate to enjoy!