Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Last year, I made this salad (recipe from Sunset magazine) for my family’s pseudo-potluck Easter.  It was so good that not only have I been thinking about it all year long, but I had a request to bring it back this year!  Although I think it’s probably a “fall” salad, since it does call for pomegranate seeds, I think it can be made year-round, omitting the seeds.

Prep time: 15-25 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients
[Dressing]
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice (I use the POM juice)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil

[Salad]
2 cups of romaine lettuce (the original recipe calls for arugula, which I have not tried, but I think romaine works well)
1-1/2 cups julienne-cut peeled jicama (for those who live in other parts of the country, jicama is a root vegetable associated with Mexican cooking…reminds me of a carrot crossed with a water chestnut–very tasty!)
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (I usually omit this, unless making in the fall)
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 dressing ingredients in a large bowl.  Add olive oil, and stir with a whisk. (I put all of the ingredients, including olive oil in a mason jar and shake.)

2. Add lettuce and next 4 ingredients (through cilantro), and toss gently.  Add pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and dressing and toss again.  Serve immediately.