A Crunchy Tangy Sweet and Fresh Salad with Curried Yoghurt Dressing

• December 01, 2011  |
• by Kirstin Uhrenholdt

Winter is here and it is time to welcome back the crisp robust winter salads. So here you go! A dish of just such ingredients, however feel free to improvise and add or subtract anything until it is the perfect salad for you. Can’t find a pomegranate or grapes? No worries, add some dried cranberries or orange segments. Don’t like fennel? (Yes I heard your grumbling.) Double up on some of the other ingredients.

And why not make this into a whole meatless Monday meal? Just cook up some grains like wheat berries or quinoa and toss them in as well. Serve a cup of butternut squash soup and toasted country bread on the side and you have a dinner that is colorful, beautiful and healthy!

You need (for the salad):

1 large tart apple diced
1 fennel bulb diced
3 long stalks of celery diced
2 cups red cabbage diced
1 cup walnuts, toasted (keep a watchful eye on nuts when you toast them, they are so eager to burn)
1 cup sliced grapes (your favorite color)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Fresh mint and Italian parsley chopped

You need (for the curried yoghurt dressing):

1 teaspoon Indian curry (mild or spicy, your choice)
1/2 cup plain 2% Greek yoghurt (if you are avoiding dairy, you can use soy or almond yoghurt instead, just add a bit more lemon juice)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 peeled garlic clove
1 teaspoon honey
A few leaves of mint
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooks tip:

The easiest and least messy way to shell a pomegranate is to cut an X into the top, then hold the fruit under water in a bowl while you pry it apart, the seeds will fall to the bottom, and the peel and white pith will float to the top.

To Make:

Toss all the salad ingredients together. Put the ingredients for the dressing into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste the dressing… does it have enough salt? Need a little more lemon juice? Toss the salad with as much dressing as you like.