With the cold weather lingering and spring around the corner, I’ve got my mind on fresh, tasty flavours. Inspired by one of my favourite destinations, I came up with this Thai inspired salad. Pomelo salads are a Thai staple, but the addition of some crunchy Asian vegetables takes this salad to the next level. Pomelos are in season now, a more mellow and drier version of a grapefruit. They are surprisingly addictive with Thai seasonings — be prepared to make these a new favourite.
This is really easy to pull together and is jammed with flavour and crunch. It is a refreshing change from a usual garden salad. Give it a try and serve it up with some chicken or pork on the side for a great weekday dinner.
Salad Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp agave nectar
juice of 1 lime
1 Thai chile, minced
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger
Peel, segment, and break up pomelo segments.
Pomelos have a really thick outer skin and a lot of pith (the white stuff you see in all citrus fruits). Peel it like a regular orange and use a knife to cut along the top of the segment. Remove the tough outer skin and break up the segments, they will fall apart. Thinly slice all salad ingredients and combine.
These are great ingredients to keep in your refrigerator, as they retain their crunch and store well without spoiling too quickly. You can find all of these items at your local grocery store these days, but if you’re feeling a little adventurous, head out to your local Asian market for a little foodie excursion. Feel free to use Daikon radish or regular cabbage if you can’t find those listed above. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
You can add more or less spice depending on your preference. Feel free to add more or less of the fish sauce for saltiness, the lime or vinegar for sourness and the agave for sweetness depending on your liking. You can use sugar, cane sugar or honey if you don’t have agave on hand. Combine with salad and let sit for 5 minutes for flavours to muddle.
This salad sits well in the refrigerator and can be made ahead of time. The crunchiness of the vegetables will hold until the next day without getting too soft.
Serve!
In a salad slump or just looking for something new and interesting? Try this Zucchini Ribbon Salad or the Freekeh Greek-eh Salad.
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