Avocado, Pomegranate & Pine Nut Salad
By Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND
The pomegranates were looking amazing at the farmers’ market this weekend again so I’m eating them as a snack, adding them to smoothies and to salads to add extra nutrients, taste and crunch! I always like to include a salad a day and it’s important to consume a wide variety of produce for nutrient variance, keeping it interesting and enjoying what’s in season. Pomegranates are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, polyphenols, such as ellagitannins and flavonoids and have been regarded for their strong free-radical scavenging abilities along with the reduction in many different types of inflammatory disease. They may offer benefits in the reduction on heart disease, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 pomegranate, deseeded (see below)
- 1 large handful of spinach leaves
- 1 large handful of arugula (rocket)
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 2 tbsp pepitas
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 avocado, chopped
Dressing:
- 1 tbsp caramelized balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Prepare pomegranate by following this easy 3-step, no-mess process from the Pomegranate Council, to show you how to de-seed a pomegranate easily.
- Chop cucumber and avocado.
- Add all salad ingredients into large bowl.
- Mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Toss salad ingredients with dressing to your liking, serve and enjoy!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Substitutions
- Pomegranate – goji berries, blackcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
- Spinach – kale, lettuce, swiss chard (silverbeet)
- Arugula – kale, lettuce, swiss chard (silverbeet)
- Lebanese cucumber – garden or white cucumber, celery
- Peptitas – sunflower seeds
- Pine nuts – macadamia, pecans
- Olive oil – coconut oil, avocado, hemp oil
Calories: 470
Fat: 32g
Trans Fat: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 55mg
Carbohydrates: 45g
Fiber: 16g
Sugars: 25g
Protein: 11g