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+ servings
Red and green leaf lettuce with citrus segments

Colorful Leaves with Citrus

Jani H. Leuschel
No ratings yet
Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Salad, Starters
Cuisine Healthy
Servings 4 servings
Calories 63 kcal

Equipment

  • salad spinner
  • paring knife
  • large bowl or container
  • small measuring cup
  • salad tongs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head of red leaf lettuce
  • ¼ red onion sliced
  • 2 large Mandarins
  • ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
  • 2 Tablespoons of capers optional
  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Pinch of paprika
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash and dry the lettuce and tear into pieces. You should have about 6 cups. Place in a large salad bowl or large storage container.
  • Peel the Mandarins with a sharp paring knife over a measuring cup to catch any juices and set the cup aside. Cut the Mandarins in half and slice the halves into rounds.
  • Top the lettuce with Mandarin and onion slices, feta cheese crumbles and capers.
  • Make a dressing by whisking all remaining ingredients together in the measuring cup with reserved citrus juice.
  • Toss with salad ingredients and serve.

Notes

You can prepare this easy salad ahead of time. Mix the dressing ingredients and salad ingredients separately. Whisk or shake the dressing and toss the salad right before serving.
This salad is rich in quercetin, a flavonoid whose health benefits include boosting immunity. The vitamin C found in the little Mandarins helps your body absorb both quercetin and the calcium in the greens.
I suggest red leaf lettuce as the base of the salad because it is high in quercetin, but any leafy green will taste fine. Arugula and spinach are also good sources of quercetin.
If you are short on time, you can substitute canned Mandarin slices for fresh.
For extra quercetin-credit, you can add some radicchio, which boasts more than 30 mg of quercetin in 3.5 ounces!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 213mgPotassium: 229mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1021IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
Keyword phytonutrients, quercetin
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