Grilled Hearts of Palm Salad
This grilled hearts of palm salad with grapefruit and avocado is vegan and gluten-free, and is an elegant dish to serve for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- Pinch of Celtic sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
salad:
- 1 (14oz/400g) can or jar whole hearts of palm
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 oz (140g) baby arugula
- 1 large ruby red grapefruit, segmented (see notes)
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
Instructions
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To make the vinaigrette, combine the oil, vinegar, agave, zest, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste, and add more agave if desired. Shake vigorously once more, then set aside at room temperature.
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To make the salad, cut each of the hearts of palm in half lengthwise. Let them dry, flat-side down, on a paper towel.
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In the meantime, place a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. With a pastry brush, spread 1 tablespoon of the oil over the pan. When the pan is hot, carefully arrange the hearts of palm, flat-side down, so that the ribs are perpendicular to the ridges. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the hearts of palm with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Cook until the grill marks are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the hearts gently with tongs, or turn off the grill and let it cool for a few minutes.
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Toss the arugula with 1/3 cup (75 ml) of the vinaigrette. Add more if desired. Divide the arugula evenly among four salad plates. Arrange a quarter of the grapefruit segments, avocado, and hearts of palm on each of the plates. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing, and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
To segment citrus fruit, cut the top and bottom ends off of the fruit so that it can stand level on your cutting surface. With a sharp knife, cut downward, following the contour of the fruit, removing the peel and the pith. Then, slice between each white membrane of the fruit to release the flesh in segments, discarding the tough membrane.
Recipe from Straight From The Earth by Myra and Marea Goodman, published by Chronicle Books.
Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak