Grape, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Somehow, I kind of forgot about grapes.

Like, I basically spaced off that they existed for about a year.  I just kind of forgot about them.  They never crossed my mind when planning ingredients for a big salad.  They never made it into my shopping bag.  I’m pretty sure they never made it into my mouth for nearly a year, save for (ahem) a few glasses of wine.

How did I forget about grapes?!?

Please tell me I’m not the only one who completely spaced off the existence of a delightful food for awhile.  (And even if not, you can just pretend so I don’t feel crazy.)

Anyway, big dramatic grape story aside, you can probably guess that this wave of fruit amnesia finally lifted and this story had a happy ending when my eyes landed on a beautiful bunch of red seedless grapes at the store a few weeks ago.  And something clicked and I finally saw them.  And then immediately started craving their sweet, crisp, pop-able, grapey goodness.  And then this beautiful salad happened when I came home with — oh — about 5 pounds of grapes.  You know, to make up for lost time.  With me.  And the grapes.

And let me tell you, it was grape-a-licious.

I feel like salad photos are always a bit like Where’s Waldo puzzles for me.  I always want to play detective and see if I can spot the red and white hat ingredients before they’re listed.  Can you see them all?

Well, let’s just dive into it.  Because they make for a heck of a yummy combination when tossed together to make a salad.

You’ll need:

• arugula (fresh, peppery, and still my all-time favorite salad green)
• grapes galore (I went for multicolor using halved red and green seedless grapes)
• avocado (because I can’t seem to make a salad without it)
• goat cheese (or any soft cheese)
• toasted walnuts (or pecans, or whatever nut sounds good)
• red onion (thinly sliced, and also quite pretty)
• not pictured: white balsamic vinaigrette (made with my favorite white balsamic vinegar, but you could also use traditional vinegar)

If you want to add in some extra protein, I recommend adding in either:

• grilled chicken
• grilled shrimp
• crispy tofu

If you want to make it vegan:

• just nix the goat cheese, and add in a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast or vegan cheese if you’d like
• or just don’t even worry about adding cheese (the salad stands well on its own without it)

If you want to make it gluten-free:

• hakuna matata — it’s already naturally gluten-free

You’ll need to:

• Add all of your ingredients together in a big bowl, drizzle on your dressing, and toss everything until combined
• (That’s it!)

And then if you want to be like me, be sure to get a grape in every delicious bite to make up for lost time.

Seriously, this salad was wonderfully light and fresh and flavorful and I plan to make it again immediately when I get back from Europe, because it was that good.

Viva the grapes!

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Yield: 2-4 servings

Grape, Avocado and Arugula Salad

This grape, avocado and arugula salad is fresh and light, and it makes for the perfect meal or side salad.

Total Time: 10 mins

Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh arugula, loosely packed
• 2 cups halved seedless grapes, red or green or a mix
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• half a small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• balsamic vinaigrette (ingredients below)

White Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or traditional balsamic vinegar)
• 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

To Make The Salad:

Add salad ingredients to a bowl, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

To Make The Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together for 30 seconds until combined.

Difficulty: Easy Ingredients: arugula, avocado, balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, grapes, red onion, walnuts

All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven