overhead shot of grapefruit salad next to bowl of salad dressing and checkered cloth napkin

Gorgeous Grapefruit Salad with Pearl Couscous

A delicious grapefruit arugula salad packed with buttery avocado, crunchy pistachios, salty feta cheese, and nutty pearl couscous!

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grapefruit salad on plate next to bowl of salad dressing

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).

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Use your knife to cut just inside each membrane to release each “segment” of the grapefruit.
overhead shot of grapefruit salad next to bowl of salad dressing and checkered cloth napkin

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!

overhead shot of salad on two plates

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

grapefruit salad on plate
overhead shot of salad on two plates

Grapefruit Arugula Salad with Pearl Couscous

A delicious grapefruit arugula salad packed with buttery avocado, crunchy pistachios, salty feta cheese, and nutty pearl couscous!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4

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)
  • 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

Storage: Store salad, cheese, and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
To make gluten-free: Use quinoa in place of couscous.
To make vegan/dairy-free: Omit cheese or use vegan feta cheese.
To make nut-free: Replace pistachios with pumpkin or sunflower seeds. 
Keyword arugula, avocado, dairy-free, feta cheese, gluten free, grapefruit, mint, nut-free, pearl couscous, pistachios, salads, vegan, vegetarian

Photography by Hope Agresti

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