Spinach & Grapefruit Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
The floral notes of tarragon in the dressing and the juicy, sour grapefruit invigorate the senses and wake up the digestive processes.
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
8 oz spinach (about 4 packed cups)
1 large or 2 medium-size grapefruits
½ cup pumpkin seeds
Dressing
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp finely minced shallot
1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
Pinch of salt
Tear the spinach into bite-size pieces, if necessary, and place in a large bowl. Cut the top and bottom off the grapefruit so that the flesh of the fruit is exposed so it sits flat on a cutting board. Cut the peel and pith from the fruit using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
Set the grapefruit on one of its flat ends on a cutting board. The sections of the fruit will face up. Cut out the sections, slicing from the outside toward the center of the fruit, just inside the membranes.
Leave the sections whole or cut them into bite-size pieces. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they are lightly browned, have puffed up and begin to pop—4 to 7 minutes. Combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, shallot, tarragon and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Stir in any grapefruit juice that may have puddled on the cutting board while sectioning the fruit.
Pour the dressing over the spinach. If any dressing is left over, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Toss the spinach well, then add the grapefruit and pumpkin seeds and toss gently again to combine.
Recipe and photo from Recipes from the Herbalist’s Kitchen by Brittany Wood Nickerson.
