Mango and Arugula Salad

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I literally got home from California and went straight to the store to buy ingredients to recreate some of the amazing things that we enjoyed. That is how much I liked them. Just like this mango and arugula salad, I could not stop thinking about it all day.

Have you ever wondered where your food really comes from? I thought about it, but in truth, I didn’t think it all the way through. I know that lettuce comes from the ground, but the lettuce that I buy in a bag? How does it get in there? Well, after a wonderful trip to Monterey to visit Dole and attend their Blog Summit, I now know. I was blown away by how simple the process is. We started the day at Dole headquarters where we had a roundtable discussion with various members of the Dole team. It truly was a discussion and one that was incredibly informative. I learned that Dole is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world; they work with 9,000 growers, employ 76,00 people, and their products can be found in 90 countries. I will never again question myself about buying lettuce from a bag. I was truly impressed with the clean practices that Dole uses. 85% of Dole lettuces have 0% pesticide traceability. The packaging is also made from recyclable plastic that is made from 70% previously recycled materials. Add in their non-use of GMOs, and now I am a Dole consumer for life.

While were at Dole headquarters, we were sampling some of the salad mixes. When you purchase a bag of Dole lettuce, there is a suggested pairing printed on the bag. The arugula with mangoes, avocados, and macadamia nuts was a stand-out pairing for everyone. I ended up making my own recipe for the dressing when I recreated it at home. I was rifling through the bags of arugula in my grocery store looking for this particular pairing, but my store only had bags with a different pairing printed on the bag, (the dressing recipe is also included on each bag), so I came home and made my own. I must have looked nuts to passersby…crazy woman rummaging through bags of salad. This salad will be making many appearances on my table, I can guarantee.

Mango and Arugula Salad Ingredients //

• 1 bag Dole arugula
• 1 avocado
• 1 mango
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts

Pineapple Cilantro Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

How to Make // The Steps

Step 1: Make the dressing by blending all of the dressing ingredients in a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2: Dress arugula with dressing. I like to lightly dress the greens, and serve more dressing on the side. I do not like too much dressing on my salad.

Step 3: Add slices of avocado, mango, and macadamia nuts. Drizzle with more dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: I like to have a few slices of toasted whole-grain bread on the side. I spread the avocado on the toast and sprinkle it with sea salt. Heaven, so, so good.