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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Grapefruit Fennel Salad with Cactus Pear Vinaigrette

    Published: Jan 29, 2021 Modified: Jan 29, 2021 by Candice

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE

    This winter salad will inspire you to include herbs in all the salads you make! While the cactus pear can be intimidating to use because of its hard seeds, I'm sharing a trick I use to easily remove them. As soon as you extract that sweet juice, you will want to use this fruit in everything.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS hide
    1 Why this Recipe Works
    2 Ingredients & Substitutions
    3 How to Make this Recipe
    4 Cactus Pear FAQs
    5 More Cactus Pear Recipes & Salads
    6 Grapefruit Fennel Salad with Cactus Pear Vinaigrette

    Why this Recipe Works

    Herbs work so well in salads and you can get them year-round. You can even grow them in your window sill. They enhance the flavors of all the other fruits and veggies in the bowl creating a flavor explosion you weren’t expecting. I use sharp mint, peppery basil and fennel fronds to uplift the salad base of lettuce.

    The vinaigrette is incredible: the cactus pear juice has an amazing sweet-tart berry taste, often compared to strawberry or raspberry in flavor. We blend the cactus pear to easily strain out the seeds.

    I love to add in the grapefruit segments for a juicy citrus bite with the leafy salad. They complement the herbs and mild fennel perfectly.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    cactus pear - If you can find it, get it. Be careful with the prickly thorns on the outside, even if it doesn't look like there are any. You can substitute with sweet berries like strawberries or raspberries. Do not use a tart berry or it won't taste right.

    fennel - use both the bulb, shaved, and the fronds, rough chopped. The fronds are the furry green parts that come up out of the bulb. You can't always buy fennel with the fronds, and that is ok.

    How to Make this Recipe

    Blend together the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds. Strain to remove the cactus pear seeds.

    Toss the greens, fresh herbs, and shaved fennel with the dressing in a large serving bowl. Top with the grapefruit segments.

    Cactus Pear FAQs

    Are the seeds edible?

    Yes. They are too hard to bite through, but you can swallow them and they are safe.

    How do you eat it?

    Cut the pear in half. Scoop out the inside flesh or peel back the skin. You can eat the entire inside flesh, including the seeds. Be careful, the outside may have thorns even if it doesn't look like it.

    What does it taste like?

    Like a combination of strawberry and raspberry, but with hard seeds.

    More Cactus Pear Recipes & Salads

    If you like this recipe, you should check out my other salad recipes, or one of these favorites:

    • Curry Lamb Burger Gyros w/ Cactus Pear Yogurt
    • Herb Salad with Pomegranate Miso Dressing
    • Tofu Summer Salad Rolls with Strawberry Dressing

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    5 from 7 votes

    Grapefruit Fennel Salad with Cactus Pear Vinaigrette

    This winter salad will inspire you to include herbs in all the salads you make! While the cactus pear can be intimidating to use because of their hard seeds, I'm sharing a trick I use to easily remove them.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American, Mexican
    Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 146kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • Food Processor or Blender

    Ingredients

    Dressing Ingredients:

    • 1 cactus pear
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon lime juice fresh
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • salt & pepper

    For the salad:

    • 8 cups mixed lettuce
    • 1 fennel bulb shaved on a mandolin (fronds reserved and removed from stem)
    • 1 grapefruit segmented
    • 1 handful of fresh mint leaves chiffonade
    • 1 handful of fresh basil basil leaves chiffonade

    Instructions

    • Blend together the dressing ingredients. Strain to remove the cactus pear (or raspberry) seeds.
    • Toss the greens, fresh herbs, and shaved fennel with the dressing in a large serving bowl. Top with the grapefruit segments.

    Notes

    If you can find it, get it. Be careful with the prickly thorns on the outside, even if it doesn't look like there are any. You can substitute with sweet berries like strawberries or raspberries. Do not use a tart berry or it won't taste right.
    The seeds of the cactus pear are too hard to bite through, but you can swallow them and they are safe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4980IU | Vitamin C: 35.1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @ProportionalPlate or tag #ProportionalPlate on Instagram! I'd love to see what you're making!

    This post was originally published in January of 2018 but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, FAQs, and tips in January of 2021.

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    On this blog, I get to share the food that I love, and get to enjoy in my own home. My heritage influences most of my recipes, and my travels inspire it. And I'm sure you'll notice my love for everything matcha. Welcome, and enjoy!

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    Candice Walker

    On this blog, I get to share the food that I love, and get to enjoy in my own home. My heritage influences most of my recipes, and my travels inspire it. And I'm sure you'll notice my love for everything matcha. Welcome, and enjoy!

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