Prickly Pear Salad with Pomegranate Syrup
I only saw and tasted prickly pears when I moved to Italy. Locally known as fichi d'india, egg-shaped and colored so vividly in green, red, yellow and orange, they were impossible to resist. I loved them at the first try and I was not even bothered by the innumerable seeds in the fruit. With all the seeds involved, you'll just love it or hate it.
In my house, we are divided about our opinions about prickly pears.
The skin, which is sometimes full of little spines plus the seeds are a
nuisance to some so they just shrug the fruit off. Why bother? But I do
because they are such refreshing fruit in summer. When I eat them as
is or make a small-portioned salad mixed with pomegranate syrup or if I
feel like a bit on the alcoholic side, with limoncello, a new surprise
awaits me.
The good ones that we get in Italy are from Sicily.
On some roads especially the one from Caltagirone to Catania, you will
see thousands of paddle cacti bearing their fruit. I sometimes wonder
how they pick the fruit from the mean-looking spines of the plants.
This is a very simple salad recipe that I created for Skinny Ms.
It's a site where you will find healthy recipes and tips on healthy
living. Scroll down for the recipe or click on the recipe link to go
there: Prickly Pear Salad with Pomegranate Syrup recipe. I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Prickly Pear Salad with Pomegranate Syrup
Yields: 4 servingsIngredients:
- 4 prickly pears
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice (optional lemon juice)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Peel and slice the prickly pears. Place them in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan mix the pomegranate juice, honey, and lime juice. Cook over medium-low heat until reduced to a syrup. Allow to cook then pour over the prickly pears. Leave for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Transfer the prickly pears to a serving plate. Garnish with the fresh mint.
