Perk up any cold, winter day with this bright and beautiful citrus salad! It’s light and refreshing, tossed with creamy avocado and mixed baby greens then drizzled with a honey citrus dressing. This delicious salad is a family favorite and perfect for any dinner menu.
Nothing like a healthy, vibrant salad showcasing cara cara and blood oranges, which are brighter, sweeter and less acidic than navel oranges. Red onion, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and goat cheese add even more flavor and texture.
A simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar brings it all together. Plus, citrus honey dressing will last in the fridge for a week and can be used on many other salads.
And if you’d like to make the most of citrus season, check out our frosty citrus margaritas, orange and honey shrimp, lemony shrimp risotto and key lime bars with shortbread crust!
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Why You’ll love this Simple Citrus Salad Recipe
- A stunning salad that makes a beautiful addition to all meals any time of year.
- Full of bright, fresh flavors with creamy and crunchy textures.
- A winter favorite to serve as an appetizer, side or main dish.
- Budget friendly recipe made with simple pantry ingredients.
- Ingredients can be prepped ahead for quick and easy assembly.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Citrus Salad
See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Citrus: Cara cara oranges and blood oranges are featured here but you can use a combination of navels, tangelos, or ruby red grapefruit as well.
- Salad Greens: I like using a blend of baby greens. Kale or peppery arugula will also work well.
- Avocado
- Red Onion
- Dried Cranberries or pomegranate seeds
- Toasted Pin Nuts or other nuts you prefer
- Crumbled Goat Cheese or feta
- Fresh Basil or other fresh herbs of choice
Citrus Vinaigrette
- Orange Juice: Can be store-bought or buy extra oranges for freshly squeezed.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup
- Dijon Mustard
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Variations
- Make the salad vegan by omitting cheese or finding a vegan cheese you like.
- Add protein such as chicken, steak or shrimp. Or a plant-based protein like tofu, roasted crispy chickpeas or lentils to make it a full meal for a weeknight dinner.
- Make it into a summer citrus salad by adding more fruit like berries, grapes or mango.
Instructions
Vinaigrette
When it comes to homemade dressings, this sweet and tangy vinaigrette is a keeper. It’s super easy to make. Just shake all ingredients in a mason jar or whisk in a small bowl until well combined. This will last in the fridge for 1 week.
Salad
To get this winter citrus salad started, grab a sharp knife and cut away the rind and white pith of the oranges.
Then cut the oranges crosswise into thin slices. You can store them and thinly sliced red onion for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before assembling the salad.
In a large bowl, toss the greens together with half of the orange slices, red onion, dried cranberries, pine nuts and goat cheese. Drizzle in just enough dressing to coat.
Then arrange remaining orange slices and avocado on top sprinkled with more goat cheese, onion, nuts and cranberries. Garnish with fresh basil, mint or other herbs. Serve with extra salad dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to remove the outer white pith of the oranges for the best flavor and texture.
- To make ahead, prep the citrus dressing, oranges and red onion one or two days before and store in the fridge separately. Then you can assemble the salad in minutes when ready to serve.
- Add avocado to the salad just before serving so it doesn’t turn brown.
What to Serve with Citrus Salad
Wondering what this light and refreshing salad goes well with? I particularly like serving it alongside heavier main dishes to balance out the menu. A few ideas are:
Citrus Salad FAQs
While you can prep the ingredients ahead of time (except for the avocado), don’t assemble the salad until ready to serve. The juicy citrus can weigh down the greens if assembled early. And, just lightly coat the salad with vinaigrette to give it a little sheen before serving.
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container and dressing separately in the fridge. Try to enjoy the salad within 1-2 days. The dressing will last longer, up to 1 week from the time you made it.
The first key is the freshness of ingredients and taking advantage of what’s in season. Second, you want the ingredients to complement each other to provide that perfect bite of flavor and texture. Third, make a spectacular, eye-popping salad your guests can’t resist.
More Salad Recipes
📋 Recipe
Citrus Salad with Avocado
Equipment
Ingredients
Citrus Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup orange juice, fresh or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Citrus Salad
- 2 cara cara oranges
- 2 blood oranges
- 5 ounces mixed baby greens
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Citrus Vinaigrette
- Mix all ingredients in a mason jar or small bowl until well combined. (Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.)
Citrus Salad
- With a sharp knife, cut off rind and pith from oranges. Slice them crosswise. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, half of the orange slices, red onion, raisins, pine nuts and goat cheese.
- Drizzle in just enough dressing to coat; do not soak. Reserve extra dressing to pass separately.
- Arrange remaining orange slices and avocado on top. Serve with extra dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Justly says
This citrus salad is a feast for the eyes and taste buds! The vibrant colors of the mixed greens and citrus fruits are just stunning. And adding avocado? Genius move for that creamy texture!
Kim Peterson says
Yay, thrilled you enjoyed!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
What a beautiful salad, Kim! I'm a huge fan of citrus fruit too (Even grapefruits hah), and I always incorporate them into my salads in winter time.
Kim Peterson says
Thanks Ben!! Wish I could embrace grapefruit. Sadly, my husband doesn't like them either so my kids have never even tried! Need to change that!