Tropical Greens Salad Recipe

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 of 6): Calories 315, Total Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Carbohydrates 14 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sugar 8 g, Protein 10 g, Cholesterol 17 mg, Sodium 422 mg
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
Preparation: 1 hr
Cooking: 5 min

Ingredients

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
3 small shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pepitas (raw, hulled green pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 small bunches baby arugula leaves, cleaned and dried
1 ripe papaya, cut in half
1 cup crumbled Cabrales cheese, or Roquefort as a substitute
Seeds from 1 pomegranate (refer to Note)

Instructions

Whisk together vinegar, orange juice, shallots, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify the vibrant dressing.
Toast pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until puffed and golden. Stir in soy sauce, then spread on a plate to coolthese add an irresistible crunch!
Trim tough arugula stems. Scoop out papaya seeds, slice into eighths, peel, and julienne into thin strips for a tropical burst.
In a large bowl, gently toss arugula, papaya, Cabrales cheese, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with just enough vinaigrette to coat lightly, mix, then top with toasted pepitas. Serve immediately and watch it disappear!

Note on pomegranate seeds: Slice off the blossom end, score the skin into quarters, pull apart, bend back the rind, and pop out the seeds. Underwater works bestpith floats, seeds sink!