Ensalada De Nochebuena
Ensalada De Nochebuena
Nochebuena means "good night" in Spanish—but in Spain, Cuba, Latin America, and parts of the American Southwest often it is used to refer to Christmas Eve. The way Nochebuena is celebrated varies, but it usually involves a big family dinner after Midnight Mass. This traditional Mexican salad—sometimes made with cooked beets, apples, pineapple, or banana—is a beautiful and healthy addition to your holiday table.
kitchen gear
- Sharp knife (adult needed)
- Cutting board
- Large bowl
- Vegetable peeler
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Grater or zester
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Tongs or salad servers
Ingredients
- 1 head romain lettuce, chopped
- 4 navel oranges or 2 pink grapefruits, or a combination
- 1 small jicama, peeled and diced
- 6 red radishes, sliced
- Grated zest* and freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime
- 1⁄3 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup lightly toasted** green pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Put the lettuce in the large bowl.
- Peel the oranges and/or grapefruits and pull them apart into sections. Cut each section into bite-size pieces and add them to the bowl.
- Add the jicama and radishes to the bowl.
- In the small bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, yogurt, honey, and salt. Taste the dressing and add more lime, honey, or salt if you think it needs it.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
Jicama is a sweet, crunchy root vegetable with a tough brown skin and a white inside that tastes a little like a green bean.
*Grate the zest by scraping off the colored part of the skin with a grater or zester before you cut and juice the fruit.
**Toast the seeds in a small, dry skillet over low heat for a minute or two, until you just begin to smell them.