Top Your Next Salad With Fresh Grapefruit For A Tart Bite

When warmer days strike, lighter dishes step center stage, with salads becoming a refreshingly easy dish that can be placed onto lunch and dinner tables within minutes. If you want some variation, a handful of fruit can quickly turn a basic salad into a more captivating meal. For example, pieces of grapefruit can provide a tart, juicy burst to elevate tossed greens and provide more complexity. 

Whether you slice pretty grapefruit into rings or peel pieces and lay neatly on top of a served portion, including citrus in your favorite salad recipes is a decision that will win every time. And it goes well with simple salad dressings made with olive oil and fresh seasonings of salt and pepper. 

For some inspiration, try folding tart pieces of ripe grapefruit into an arugula salad, or use canned grapefruit to dress up a spinach salad made with a mango vinaigrette. Play with the flavorful citrus elements of grapefruit by matching the addition with creamy goat cheese crumbles and drizzles of sweet balsamic vinegar. Of course, the best salads offer a variety of textural elements, so a sprinkling of chili-roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds can be the perfect finishing touch.

Even a basic salad with avocado, greens, and olive oil can be spruced up with a few slices of grapefruit and oranges. Crushed walnuts and slivers of manchego cheese can further steer flavors in a satisfying direction, or you can lean your dish spicier with a sprinkle of red chili flakes and slices of freshly-cut peppers. 

Should you use canned grapefruit to make your salad, incorporate the juices that the grapefruit is packed in to make a fresh, summery dressing, or save the juice to use for tomorrow's fruity breakfast smoothies or a tipsy grapefruit salad. The latter is a recipe that delivers a refreshing mix of Asian pears, avocados, grapefruit, bell peppers, and mint leaves bathed in an oily bath of lime, tequila, citrus juice, and Grand Marnier.  

For salads and so much more, pick up more grapefruit from the store than you think you may need. Whatever doesn't go into your salad can always top roasted chicken thighs or be set aside next to the DIY cocktail stations you have planned for an upcoming dinner party.