Karl’s Heart of Palm, Mandarin Orange, and Arugula Salad

I am always up for trying a new ingredient, but that being said I don’t guarantee that I will like it. I had seen heart of palm in several recipes that I had perused over time, so when I saw them at Trader Joes I, of course, bought a bottle.  This jar has sat on my shelf for a time and I thought I would use it for this Sunday’s dinner.

Karl’s Heart of Palm, Mandarin Orange, and Arugula Salad

I decided I would add it to a salad—one of the recommended uses. I was making another dish that used arugula, so I saved half of the bag as the greens for my salad. I planned to base my dressing on my mandarin marmalade, so I though some mandarin segments would be a nice addition.

After Dinner Notes: While everyone liked the salad, they were less enthused by the heart of palm. The taste is very much like bamboo, but instead of being chewy the texture is quite mushy. It may have suffered from being in a jar, perhaps fresh it would have a more appealing bite.

Jan generally finds arugula too bitter for her taste, but she thought the sweetness of the orange dressing balanced it out quite nicely.

Karl’s Heart of Palm, Mandarin Orange, and Arugula Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

1 Tbs. Karl’s Micro Mandarin Marmalade
OR 1 Tbs. commercial orange marmalade

2 mandarin oranges, juiced
Pinch thyme
Pinch black pepper
Pinch Kosher salt

1 jar Heart of Palm (8.8 dry oz.)
3 Mandarin Oranges, peeled and segmented
4 cups arugula, loose packed

Directions

1. Put all of the dressing ingredients in a small lidded jar and shake to mix.

Tip: Let the dressing meld for at least 15 minutes.

2. Roll cut the heart of palm into bite sized pieces.

Tip: Use a sharp knife. The heart of palm is very soft and is easily crushed.

Note: The heart of palm are ¾ inch diameter cylinders packed in a lot of liquid. Drain off the liquid and rinse the heart of palm well.

3. Put the heart of palm, mandarin segments and arugula in a salad bowl and pour the dressing over the salad.

4. Toss gently to coat and serve.