Pan Seared Scallops in Honey Citrus Balsamic Reduction in a salad with 6 superfoods plus mandarin oranges, golden raisins, and beets makes a healthy, sweet, and satisfying meal that’s gluten and grain free and incredibly delicious!
March is National Nutrition month and that makes me very happy! Not that I really need permission to go wild with my greens, but it’s always nice to be validated in your passions, right?
The first thing I will say, is, balsamic, I’ve missed you. Whenever I think about salads, and, particularly beets (which almost always NEED to be in my salads) I think of sweet and tangy balsamic reductions. They’re a bit dangerous for me, because I could literally drink them if I don’t properly contain myself, but a delicious balsamic reduction is so worth the risk.
I’m definitely a bit sidetracked now, so let’s go back. The second thing I’ll say, is that I had some much- loved and appreciated help with this recipe – from Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits! Each salad kit comes complete with everything you need, BUT there is lots of room to be creative with each salad kit to make it fit your personal definition of a healthy, delicious, satisfying meal.
Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits are chef-inspired salad kits that offer sophisticated blends of five or more superfoods and include everything needed for a delicious salad! For those of us looking for innovative, convenient and healthy options that make our busy lives just a bit easier, they are absolutely perfect.
For my scallops in honey citrus balsamic I worked with the Beets and Greens salad kit, which, for a beet lover like me, was pretty awesome.
Eat Smart Beets and Greens Salad Kit is a combination of six superfoods with perfectly cooked beets (100%!), kale, beet greens, red chard, red cabbage and broccoli, topped with golden raisins and feta cheese. It also comes with a white wine vinaigrette which I omitted in favor of the balsamic reduction for this recipe.
There are 7 total varieties of the Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits – you can get all the info plus sign up for the e-blast on their website! Also like them on Facebook for product updates and info on where to buy.
Scallops in Honey Citrus Balsamic with Superfood Salad
Scallops in Honey Citrus Balsamic with Superfood Salad
Ingredients
- 4-6 sea scallops
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil for searing
- sea salt
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kit - Beets and Greens {kit contains the greens golden raisins, cooked and cubed beets, and feta cheese)
- 1 mandarin orange peeled and sectioned
Instructions
First, make the balsamic reduction:
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In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, orange juice and honey over low-med heat, stirring. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn, until it's reduced by about half, thickened, and sticky-sweet. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.
Next, sear the scallops:
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Pat your scallops dry with paper towel, and heat a large skillet over med-hi heat, then add the coconut oil.
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Lightly sprinkle the scallops with sea salt before searing. When the oil is heated (just as it smokes), add the scallops to the pan and cook on each side about 2-3 minutes, until opaque, carefully flipping halfway through. The outside should appear light to golden brown. Remove from pan once done and set aside while you arrange the salad.
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To arrange the salad, empty the greens into a large bowl and top with the beets, raisins, mandarin orange segments, seared scallops and feta cheese if using.
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Carefully drizzle on the cooled balsamic reduction, serve, and enjoy!
Are you a fan of salad kits for making meal prep easier?
How do you get creative with your salads?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Hi! I'm Michele. Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, and mom of 3. Welcome to my blog, where we obsess over all of it and love every minute! (It's way fun over here, promise.) Stay a while to eat, run, and rant with me! 
I’m not a fan of scallops, but I love the idea of these salad kits and the balsamic dressing! Anything to make meal time easier, right?
I was sold on the roasted beets. Plus raisins and feta and it’s a fancy salad kit!
I actually liked scallops (I never ate any sort of fish until was at least 30) but then had a severe reaction to calamari which is in same shellfish category as scallops so I wont go near them anymore. such a shame! I have to make this balsamic reduction and I have a new container of oj in the house! lol but still no cherry juice for your bbq sauce.
I love balsamic reduction on everything and once I make it I get a little addicted. Shellfish allergies are no joke that’s pretty scary!
Dear Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits, Please ship Beets and Greens salad kits to Canada lol There are only three varieties available in my area right now. I buy the sweet kale every week! This scallops salad looks delicious. I’ve added scallops to my grocery list 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Love the mix of greens in this one and the beets are pretty awesome, since we all know cooking beets is…annoying 🙂 I bet this one will be by you soon!
I haven’t had scallops in forever. They’re my favorite, but really hard to find! Genius for adding them too a salad.
I love them on salads! I hadn’t had them in way too long.
Scallops, beets, citrus, hell to the yes. I haven’t used a salad kit in years–I don’t find much sense in them because I never use the dressings that they provide anymore, and half of the time they are totally dried out or have ingredients that I don’t want. But we LIVED on them when I was a kid!
I have to say this one impressed me with the cooked beets, raisins, and feta, all fresh! I don’t love packaged dressings though and never have.
I had jumbo sea scallops Saturday evening prepared with sautéed shredded Brussels sprouts, greens and butternut squash with a warm wine reduction–kind of similar. Your recipe will be served for dinner REAL soon.
I’ve been into brussels sprouts lately, that sounds so good 🙂
I love salad kits for quick weenight meals or lunches to take to work–it always helps when you’re busy! This looks great though–ive never seen this brand of kits–they seem healthier than some of the other kits filled with who knows what!
This is the first time I’ve seen a salad kit with roasted root veggies! One of the others includes sweet potatoes, very cool 🙂
how come I’ve never heard of these salads? NEED! but more importantly, i need those scallops. you know this. 😉
Let’s just say it had been way too long since I had scallops! Went so well with the salad 🙂
YUM. This looks absolutely delicious. I loveee scallops and beets, and basically everything in this salad!
Two of my favorites as well, and I’ve gotten lazy about cooking beets so it was perfect!
Love scallops, can’t do citrus (in fact just had an allergic reaction this weekend :/). I’m thinking a beet and apple version though…
Oh no, I’d definitely miss mandarins 🙁 Apples would be good though, I love apples with salad and also strawberries. FYI the reduction can be made without the OJ by adding a touch more honey 🙂
Ohhhh I love the scallops and beets combo! I don’t use salad kits because I can be a control freak on the weirdest things, but I’ve also never seen salad kits that look as good as this!
I was sold on the cooked beets that came with it – can’t beat beets lol!
Can you suggest a balsamic vinegar that you like? I have been looking for one that I could use as a dressing as well as to roast vegetables. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Honestly I mainly use it to make reductions so I’m not too picky about which one I get! I think there’s a huge variation in price/quality/thickness/flavor so it’s tough for me to recommend one. I always check out amazon though since they always have the best reviews!
Those scallops look amazing and the combination sounds delicious. Salad kits are nice for busy nights. These Eat Smart ones would be especially nice because they have prepared beets! Preparing beets is not my favorite thing.
I was very impressed by the already prepared beets and the little packet was really easy to open 🙂
Gosh, I haven’t had scallops in such a long time – I am well over due. Also, these salads look amazing!
Honestly I hadn’t had them in way too long but the salad inspired me to cook some! Love scallops over a good salad 🙂
This looks incredible and your photos are stunning!
Thank you so much!
So easy and tasty!!! Didn’t have these salad kits so bought some pre-cooked beets, a container of mixed super greens, and feta; had some golden raisins in the cupboard. What I really like about Michele’s recipes is they taste elegant but are quite simple to prepare. I have to follow a paleo diet for health reasons and she makes it easier and actually fun! Oh, and my hubby likes them too;-)
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this!