Citrus Salad

Citrus Salad is a delicious mix of citrus, avocado, and pistachios, with a sweet orange dressing. It’s one of the best salads I’ve ever tasted and a complete show-stopper!

Use leftover citrus in this Citrus Quinoa Salad or Cuban Mojo Chicken with citrus avocado salsa.

Citrus Salad

This salad is unique and fun because it doesn’t use lettuce. Instead it’s made by layering sweet citrus fruits, (optional) roasted beets, and creamy avocado. It’s an absolutely gorgeous dish with a mix of textures and fresh, light flavors — perfect for spring.

This salad always makes it on my Easter menu and year after year, it is always one of the most popular dishes. In fact, it’s often my go-to choice whenever I’m asked to bring a salad between winter and spring!

The salad includes several different citrus fruits, which are usually available from December to May. I typically choose four kinds of citrus, but you can pick according to your preference and what the stores have.

Citrus Salad Dressing

This dressing has a subtle sweetness that brings out all the salad’s flavors. Here are some tips:

• Choose high-quality olive oil: The better the olive oil, the tastier your dressing will be. Look for extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
• Mix the beets with dressing: After roasting the beets, mix them with some dressing while they’re still warm. This helps the beets soak up the flavor and makes them taste better in the salad.
• Use the right tools: A small grater (like this one) can help you get just the orange zest without the bitter white part. A citrus juicer can make squeezing the oranges easier.
• Add dressing gradually: Since the dressing doesn’t adhere super well to the citrus, start by adding half of it and then add more as needed. This way, you prevent all the dressing from just sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

The Citrus in This Salad

This salad features a variety of oranges, though you can choose based on what’s fresh and available. Aim to include at least three different types to add variety.

• Cara Cara Oranges: These are sweeter and less acidic than regular navel oranges, with a cranberry-like tang. They look like navel oranges on the outside but have a unique, rich pink, seedless flesh inside.
• Blood Oranges: Known for their deep red flesh, blood oranges offer a distinct flavor with raspberry notes.
• Tangelos: A cross between tangerines and grapefruit, tangelos are very juicy and taste similar to tangerines.
• Navel Oranges: Navel oranges are less tangy and very sweet, adding a delicious flavor to the salad.

Other fruits that also work well in this citrus salad include Valencia oranges, grapefruit, clementines, and mandarins, all of which are great options.

Other Citrus Salad Ingredients

• Avocado: Use avocados that are fully ripe for a delicious creamy texture. To check if an avocado is ripe, press near where the stem is. If it feels like the tip of your nose, it’s ready for the salad.
• Basil or Mint: Basil gives the salad a slightly sweet and savory taste. You can use mint instead for a different flavor.
• Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese: Goat cheese goes well with the beets, citrus, and avocado, but feta cheese works great too. You can leave out the cheese if you want a vegan-friendly salad.
• Pistachios or Almonds: Choose nuts that are dry roasted and lightly salty — more flavor for no extra effort.
• Beets: Beets are great in this salad, but you can use more citrus instead. For quicker prep, buy beets that are already roasted and peeled, or even canned beats work.

How To Make Citrus Salad

1. Dressing: In a jar, mix together dressing ingredients. Shake to combine and then chill until ready to use.
2. Optional: Roast Beets: Heat oven, trim beets, wrap in foil, bake until tender. Cool, peel, slice, mix with dressing, and refrigerate.
3. Citrus & Avocados: Slice the peels off of the citrus and remove seeds. Slice avocados.
4. Assembly: Layer citrus, beets, avocado on a plate. Add cheese, nuts, basil if desired. Drizzle with dressing. Only dress what you’ll eat right away.

Preparing The Citrus

To get the citrus ready and remove the bitter parts, follow these steps:

1. Use a very sharp knife to make it easier.
2. Cut the top and bottom off the fruit, then put it flat on a cutting board.
3. Slice around the fruit to remove the peel and the white part, moving from top to bottom.
4. Keep going until all the peel and white part are off.
5. Thinly cut the fruit into slices or half-slices.

If slicing is hard or frustrating, just peel the citrus with your hands and break it into pieces for the salad.

More Salad Recipes

• Beet Salad with a citrus-balsamic dressing
• Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with candied almonds
• The best Cobb Salad with an herb dressing (no mayo!)
• Mango Salad with a cinnamon-yogurt dressing
• Thai Quinoa Salad with a peanut dressing

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4.92 from 12 votes

Citrus Salad Recipe

By Chelsea Lords

Citrus Salad is a delicious mix of citrus, avocado, and pistachios, with a sweet orange dressing. It's one of the best salads I've ever tasted and a complete show-stopper!

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 -6 as a side

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

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Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons each: honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt & tiny pinch pepper

Salad

• ▢ 2 navel oranges (or 4 clementines)
• ▢ 2 tangerines, tangelos, or clementines
• ▢ 2 cara cara oranges
• ▢ 2 blood oranges
• ▢ 2 small avocados
• ▢ 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
• ▢ Optional: handful of fresh basil, 1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese

OPTIONAL: Roasted Beets

• ▢ 4 beets (golden, red, or variety) (or use 1 can drained & thinly sliced)

Instructions 

• DRESSING: Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake well. Stir if honey doesn't blend. Refrigerate until needed.
• OPTIONAL: BEETS: Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim beet tops, leaving roots, wrap in foil, and roast on a pan for 50-60 minutes until tender (knife can easily pierce through). Cool, peel, slice, toss with some dressing, and refrigerate.
• PREPARE CITRUS & CUT AVOCADOS: Cut off citrus ends, peel by slicing around the fruit, and slice into 1/2-inch rounds, removing seeds. (Otherwise, peel and segment). Peel, pit, and slice avocados.
• ASSEMBLE: On a large plate/platter, layer citrus, beets (if using), and avocado. Add cheese, pistachios, and basil as desired.
• DRESSING: Shake dressing again and drizzle over the salad to taste (you may not want to use it all). Only dress and add avocado to portions immediately being served to prevent browning; otherwise store separately and assemble right before enjoying.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Peel and slice the beets on parchment paper to prevent staining the cutting board. Use gloves to avoid staining your hands!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4.7g | Fat: 15.9g | Cholesterol: 1.4mg | Sodium: 86.1mg | Fiber: 8.4g | Sugar: 25.1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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