Seared goat cheese over watercress, hearts of palm and avocado with passion fruit dressing

Watercress, hearts of palm and avocado is a delicious classic salad combination in Venezuela. But in this recipe, I add a tart and velvety passion fruit dressing and some seared goat cheese that takes it to a new level of wow!

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 people

• 1 bag = 113g = 4oz Watercress
• 1 can = 14oz = 400g Hearts of palm (7.8oz = 220g dry weight out of the can)
• 2 Hass avocados
• 113g = 4oz Goat cheese (omit if you would like to keep the salad vegan)

DRESSING

• 14oz = 397g Passion fruit puree, frozen*
• 2oz = 60g Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 T honey or agave
• 3 T Greek yogurt 0% fat (optional)

*Passion Fruit: after being reduced, you should get 140g or about 5oz

DRESSING:

  • To make the dressing, add the passion fruit puree in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce down until you have about 140g or 5oz. Let cool completely.
  • Place the reduced passion fruit in a blender and add a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Cover the blender and open the top. Drizzle in the evoo with the machine on at medium speed. Once you’ve added all of it, increase the speed to high for 15-20 seconds to ensure proper emulsification (basically so it really comes together!). Taste for seasoning. At this point you can decide whether or not to add the yogurt. It is tart and velvety as is but if you want it less acidic and creamier, you can add the yogurt. If you do, either incorporate it by hand with a whisk or with quick pulses in the blender. Place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. You can make big quantities of this dressing as it keeps perfectly in the fridge for a long time.
passion-fruit

SALAD ASSEMBLY:

  • You can assemble the salad as you wish. You can either place everything in a bowl or arrange each ingredient on a plate so that each has its place like on the picture.
  • Season with black pepper to taste and a bit more salt on the avocado.

GOAT CHEESE:

  • Cut the goat cheese into pieces, either rounds or squares. Dust each piece with a light layer of flour, semola or finely ground corn meal.
  • Add just a drizzle of evoo in a nonstick pan and heat to medium heat.
  • Place each piece of goat cheese in the pan and sear on each side for about a minute or until it becomes golden in color.
  • Place the warm goat cheese over the salad.

Serve with the cooled and delicious passion fruit dressing as a stand-alone dish or a side that might just take the protagonism away from the entrée ☺

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