A delicious grapefruit arugula salad packed with buttery avocado, crunchy pistachios, salty feta cheese, and nutty pearl couscous!
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This gorgeous refreshing dish may seem like an odd choice for this winter season but y’all. Citrus season is NOW and I could not let it pass us by without acknowledging it. This Grapefruit Salad with Pearl Couscous is the perfectly healthful but satisfying lunch you’ve been looking for.
How to Prepare a Grapefruit
When I first started working with grapefruit, I didn’t realize you couldn’t toss ’em back just like an orange. Alas, the pith (the spongy white lining) and membranes (the thin lining around each segment) are too thick for that. Technically, you could eat it. It won’t kill you, but it may not be pleasant. Hence, I’m gonna break down how exactly to cut a grapefruit for you. If you’re a more visual person, this video explains a bunch of different ways to get this done (the technique I’ll explain here is method 5 in the video).
- Use a chef’s knife to slice off both ends of the grapefruit, making sure you can see the fruit and that spongy white lining is gone.
- Carefully cut off the peel, angling the knife to follow the shape of the grapefruit all the way around. Be careful here to not cut too much of the grapefruit off.
- Use your knife to cut just inside each membrane to release each “segment” of the grapefruit.
More Key Ingredients
Pearl Couscous: One of my favorite grains! Depending on what type you buy, the directions for cooking will vary. Follow whatever directions are on the package. To keep this grapefruit salad gluten-free, go for quinoa.
Baby Arugula: A delicious spicy green that amps up the flavor of any salad.
Avocado: For healthy fats and texture variety.
Feta Cheese: Briny, salty, umami vibes to really round out this salad.
Pistachios: For some much-needed crunch!
Fresh Mint: This is optional, but makes the salad a bit more herbaceous if that’s your thing.
Champagne Vinaigrette: The fruit notes of the champagne vinegar are a perfect flavor match for grapefruit!
Customize Your Grapefruit Salad
- Swap out the grain: Try rice, quinoa, or farro! It’s all delicious.
- Use a different cheese: Goat or gorgonzola cheese would be great. Feel free to even try a plant-based variety!
- Try a different nut or seed: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds, pecans, or slivered almonds would all be delish.
- Add protein! Pan-seared salmon or rotisserie chicken would be *chef’s kiss.* You could also use a can of white beans or chickpeas to keep things plant-based.
If you make this beautiful Grapefruit Salad, be sure to leave a rating and review! This helps enormously with Google rankings (like, it’s shocking how much it helps). You can also connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
More Amazing Salads
- Delectable Grape Arugula Salad (with farro!)
- Winter Caesar Salad (Easily Vegan!)
- The Go-To Taco Salad (with fajita veggies!)
- The Year-Round Kale Salad (with almond butter vinaigrette)
- Roasted Squash Apple Salad with Tahini Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Grapefruit Arugula Salad with Pearl Couscous
Equipment
- saucepan with lid
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Blender or Food Processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 5-oz container baby arugula
- 1 large grapefruit peeled and segmented (instruction's below)
- 1 large avocado cubed
- 1 cup cooked pearl couscous (sub quinoa to keep gluten-free)
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled (omit or sub plant-based feta to keep vegan)
- ⅓ cup pistachios shelled and dry roasted (sub pumpkin or sunflower seeds to keep nut-free)
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped (optional)
Champagne Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 small shallot peeled and finely chopped if not using a blender
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, cook your pearl couscous according to package directions. Cook time will vary based on what variety you get.
- While your couscous is cooking, go ahead and peel and segment your grapefruit. Use a chef's knife to slice off both ends of the grapefruit, making sure you can see the fruit and that spongy white lining is gone. Next, carefully cut off the peel, angling the knife to follow the shape of the grapefruit all the way around. Be careful here to not cut too much of the grapefruit off. Finally, carefully use your knife to cut just inside each membrane to release each "segment" of the grapefruit. You could also use a grapefruit spoon or knife if you have it, but that's not essential.
- Next up, make your champagne vinaigrette. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure everything is well-combined and emulsified. Alternatively, you could place all ingredients in a mason jar with lid tightly shut and shake until all ingredients are well-combined.
- Assemble your salad! Place cooked pearl couscous, arugula, grapefruit segments, avocado cubes, and optional chopped mint in a large bowl and toss to combine. Portion into individual bowls and top with pistachios and feta cheese and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Notes
Photography by Hope Agresti
