Occasionally, I like to prepare a sweet and leafy salad.  I usually use romaine lettuce or baby bok choy, since these greens are assertive enough to stand up to the sweet juiciness of the fruit and nuts.  I choose whatever fruit is abundant and perfectly ripe.

Over Sukkos in Israel, pomegranates and mangoes were exactly that: abundant and perfectly ripe.  I bought candied pecans in the Machane Yehuda Shuk (Jerusalem market) and added those, too.

Davida prepared this salad and is was both beautiful and delcious.  I loved the interplay between the soft bitterness of the chopped greens, the sweet juiciness of the pomegranate seeds, the tropical flavor of the mango and the heartiness of glazed pecans.

 

The dressing for this salad is best made by sprinkling the spices and drizzling the liquid ingredients directly on the vegetables right before serving. That way, the salad remains light, fresh and not weighed down by the dressing.

 

INGREDIENTS

2-4 cups of chopped romaine or baby bok choy (see kosher notes)

1 mango, cut into small cubes
1 pomegranate, seeded

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped small

DRESSING

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, sprinkled
Coarse black pepper, just a pinch to taste
juice of half a lemon, lightly drizzled
Olive or canola oil, lightly drizzled (optional)

light drizzle of agave syrup, honey or sugar

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Make sure that the lettuce or bok choy is dry.  Place mango, pomegranate and pecans right on top of greens.  Right before serving, sprinkle salt and pepper on top of vegetables. Lightly drizzle with lemon, oil and syrup, honey or sugar. Toss all salad ingredients together. Enjoy!

KOSHER NOTES

Kosher laws disallow the eating of any whole insects and therefore most greens require a process of soaking, rinsing and in some cases, pureeing. Kashrut authorities differ somewhat on the proper checking of leafy vegetables. This blog was not designed to be your kosher authority, so please consult your local rabbinic authority regarding using greens such as romaine lettuce or baby bok choy.

VARIATIONS

Substitute star fruit or granny smith apples for mango

 

 

Enjoy!