Spinach Salad with Red Grapefruit, Fennel, and Coriander

Thoughts on Spinach Salad and Vitamin C

I hope you've managed to peek out of the office window in the last few days, because it seems spring is almost here and winter, it seems, has passed.

The turning point between winter and spring is my favorite season. Because you can find an array of amazing vegetables in markets and on supermarket shelves that are currently in their peak season and at their best flavor.

During this short season, I particularly like to focus on green leaves: chard, arugula, cabbage, parsley, coriander, Turkish and New Zealand spinach, celery leaves, watercress, basil, and much, much more.

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

Wow, there's nothing like a red grapefruit in this world. Simply an amazing fruit, beautiful inside and, of course, outside too.

I like to combine some of the fresh, crisp green leaves with tart citrus fruits (like red grapefruit) because the combination is colorful, festive, and appetizing, and also because there's a nutritional benefit:

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

The salad before you has an Asian twist thanks to the coriander, red chili pepper, and a dressing based on peanut butter and soy sauce. Something in the style of Bangkok meets Tel Aviv.

If you're not into this style, there's no problem replacing the coriander with parsley and seasoning with plenty of garlic, lemon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

I particularly like to serve this salad at Friday night dinners and holiday meals, due to its amazing colorfulness and also because of its nutritional values, which were analyzed by nutritionist and fitness instructor Noam Bachar:

So what are they?

Nutritional values per serving:

Salad itself: 140 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, 6.5 grams protein, 8 grams fat (of which 0.5 grams saturated fat), 6.5 grams dietary fiber, 150 mg calcium, 3 mg iron,

Dressing per serving:

170 calories, 7 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 12 grams fat (of which 2 grams saturated fat), 2.5 grams omega 3

If you're stuck with a lot of spinach, here's a perfect recipe for you - Baked Tofu with Spinach and Basil

Spinach Salad with Red Grapefruit, Fennel, and Coriander

Prep time 10 minutes

Total time 10 minutes

Serving size 2 servings

Ingredients

For the salad

• 150 grams New Zealand spinach Turkish or regular can be used
• 1/2 red grapefruit segmented
• 1 fennel bulb sliced thinly
• 20 almonds coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped coriander parsley can be used
• 1/2 chili pepper sliced - for those who like it spicy

For the dressing

• 2 teaspoons peanut butter unsweetened
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil coconut or canola can be used
• 1 clove crushed garlic

Instructions

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl
2. Mix the dressing ingredients well with a tablespoon of water to dilute
3. Pour over the salad, mix well, and serve