Dear Salads,
I had been oblivious to your existence for most of my life, but when I did discover you finally I fell in love. The reason it took me so long to finally find you was that in the Indian food scene, salads used to be (usually) a mix of some cucumbers, onions and tomatoes topped with a fiery green chilli and a dash of lemon. Not that you are not interesting in that avatar! You certainly are! But you also have to understand that it was kind of boring to be served a “garden salad” day in and day out.
When I did find you and when I finally got to meet so many interesting avatars of you, I felt exhilarated. My love for you is based on the facts that you do so much for me. On some days, you help me detox, on others you fill me with nourishment. On most days you refresh me and on many a days you are the only food I can quickly put together before I have to run a million errands.
Not only are you full of fresh, seasonal ingredients, but you are also full of flavor, texture and a whole lot of oopmh.
For example, when you are in your zesty chilli, spunky pineapple, spicy sprouts, tingling grapefruit and buttery avocado avatar, I feel very energized and refreshed. This Pineapple avocado grapefruit combo makes you full of immune boosting vitamin c and healthful fat. And the spicy sprouts added in enhance the nutrition even further.
So thank you, dear Salads for making my days healthful and full of possibilities for nourishment, healing and general well being. I really feel very virtuous after a date with you. Now if only I could extend that goodness to other areas of my life.
Yours in gratitude
Ansh

Pineapple Avocado and Pink Grapefruit Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1/2 fresh ripe pineapple
- 1 medium avocado
- Zest from 1 small lemon and then the juice from the same lemon
- 2 Tbs freshly chopped Cilantro
- 1 Thai chilli minced ( Use less for less heat)
- A couple of pinches of spicy sprouts use any you like
- Salt to taste
- A few leaves of butter lettuce
- Mint for garnish optional
Instructions
- Peel the grapefruit with a knife and cut into small segments. Be sure to save any juice that runs out while cutting.
- Peel, slice and core the pineapple and then dice it - also reserving any juice that might get on to the chopping board.
- Add in the grapefruit, pineapple to a mixing bowl. Add in the lemon zest, juice, cilantro, chilli and sprouts.
- Toss it all together, Add in the avocado, the reserved juices if you saved any and salt, toss gently and serve on butter lettuce, garnish with a mint leaf.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you want to make it ahead of time, add the avocado and salt at the last minute.
Comments 12
love your letter to salads. And this is a beautiful one.
Ha! Your letter made me laugh…and your headline made me salivate. What a fresh summer salad. Love all that it calls for.
I love salads in the summer when fresh fruit is available; I’ve grown way more fond of some fruit, cheese and avocado on mine then the basic of lettuce and tomato. Unless it’s a fabulous tomato and we get those for maybe 2 weeks every year!
I’ll have my orange avocado with you if you’ll bring some of this for me. Deal?
I am not a big grapefruit lover, but I love everything about this salad. I am a salad lover, too! Thanks for giving me something new to try!
This looks perfect for summer!
Salads are so great at this time of the year, aren’t they? This one looks wonderful! I love citrus in a salad. Thanks for this.
I got on the computer to read your post……
I had to laugh about your desi salad. That’s so true.
What bugs me more than the kuchumber, which i love, are the western style salads desis make and then there’s NO dressing!!!
Fortunately, growing up in London, i wasn’t subjected to the same ol desi salad 🙂
Nowadays, I love doing what you’re doing….adding all kinds of fruit and vegetables.
This one looks particularly good, love the pink grapefruit, and the green avocado combo.
See you on Friday?
This looks like a salad I would really, really love, of course I am a big salad lover, so I know a good one when I see it.
This looks like it could be on the menu at a fine resort– pineapple, grapefruit and avocado all make me think of a tropical getaway. Take me there now!!
Author
I am going to be in the tropics soon. It just will be VERY HOT there right now! LOL
Your salad sounds delicious. I never think of adding grapefruit to my salads for some reason but when I eat one that has it I love it. I do like the combo of grapefruit and avocado, too.
Author
Grapefruit is a lot of work. In fact this whole salad had a lot of prep work, but the end result was really worth all the effort.