Spinach Salad with Red Grapefruit, Fennel, and Cilantro

Thoughts on Spinach Salad and Vitamin C

I hope you’ve managed to catch a glimpse outside your office window over the last few days, because it feels like spring is truly here and winter, it seems, has passed.

The transition point between winter and spring is my favorite season. This is when you can find a variety of stunning vegetables in the markets and on supermarket shelves that are at their peak season and flavor.

During this short season, I especially love focusing on leafy greens: chard, arugula, cabbage, parsley, cilantro, Turkish and New Zealand spinach, celery leaves, cress, basil, and so much more.

On the other hand, it's also the height of the wonderful citrus season.

Wow, there is nothing like red grapefruit in this world. Simply an amazing fruit, beautiful on the inside and, of course, on the outside too.

I like to combine fresh, crisp leafy greens with tart citrus fruits (like red grapefruit), both because the combination is colorful, festive, and appetizing, and because there's a nutritional benefit:

Spinach leaves contain a good amount of iron. To optimize iron absorption, it's recommended to eat spinach in combination with Vitamin C, which is abundant, as you probably know, in citrus fruits.

The salad before you has an Asian twist thanks to the cilantro, red chili, and a peanut butter and soy sauce dressing. Something like Bangkok meets Tel Aviv.

If you're not a fan of that style, there’s no problem swapping the cilantro for parsley and seasoning with plenty of garlic, lemon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

I love serving this salad mainly at Friday night and holiday dinners because of its stunning colors and nutritional values, which were analyzed by nutritionist and fitness instructor Noam Bachar:

So, what are they?

Nutritional values per serving:

The salad itself: 140 kcal, 8g carbohydrates, 6.5g protein, 8g fat (of which 0.5g is saturated fat), 6.5g dietary fiber, 150mg calcium, 3mg iron.

Dressing per serving:

170 kcal, 7g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 12g fat (of which 2g is saturated fat), 2.5g Omega-3.

Stuck with a lot of spinach? Here’s a perfect recipe for you – Oven-baked tofu with spinach and basil

Spinach Salad with Red Grapefruit, Fennel, and Cilantro

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 150 g New Zealand spinach Turkish or regular spinach can be used
• 1/2 red grapefruit sectioned (segments only)
• 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
• 20 almonds roughly chopped
• 1 cup chopped cilantro parsley is optional
• 1/2 chili pepper sliced - for those who like it spicy

For the Dressing

• 2 tsp peanut butter sugar-free
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil coconut or canola oil can be used
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients well, adding a tablespoon of water to thin if necessary.
3. Pour over the salad, toss well, and serve.