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This stunning Winter Citrus Salad is quick, easy and comes together in 15 minutes or less! Finished with a Honey Citrus Vinaigrette, it’s the perfect refreshing side or light dinner! Overhead photo of Winter Citrus Salad with avocado, cucumbers and mint on a large white platter with serving spoons tucked into the salad and a pale purple linen and ramekins of honey citrus vinaigrette and crispy chickpeas surrounding the platter.

Hey there, friends!

I hope you haven’t had your fill of winter salads yet, because I have one for the record books!

If you are into citrus, this salad is seriously going to give you life! And, if you aren’t, well, this salad will definitely make you see citrus in a whole new, delicious light.

Winter Citrus Salad

Fresh, crisp little gem lettuce layered with juicy oranges, crisp cucumbers, creamy avocado, mild shallots and fresh herbs. Scattered with jeweled pomegranate arils, nutty walnuts and crispy chickpeas; then finished with a silky, smooth Honey Citrus Vinaigrette, this salad is refreshing and packed with texture!

Ridiculously easy to make and bursting with flavors and colors, this citrus salad is an epic way to celebrate winter citrus!

Perfect for lunch, served as an appetizer or enjoyed as a light dinner, this simple winter salad is elegant enough for entertaining and fast enough for a quick weeknight meal!Overhead photo of Honey Citrus Dressing in a small spouted ramekin with a wooden spoon next to it - photo of step 1 of the Winter Citrus Salad recipe.

Table of Contents

What is citrus salad?

A citrus salad is jewel-like in color and the perfect way to celebrate fresh winter fruit!

Made up of a variety of citrus, these salads can also incorporate other flavorful ingredients such as fresh greens, avocado and beets to name a few.

Typically finished with a silky vinaigrette, citrus salads can be served chilled or at room temperature and are refreshing, light and extremely tasty!

How do you make citrus honey dressing or vinaigrette?

Citrus dressings, or vinaigrettes, are quite simple to make!

With citrus as the primary acidic ingredient, honey serving as a balancing sweetener and various add-ins, such as shallot, garlic or fresh herbs, whisked in for flavor, citrus honey dressings are a great way to take a boring salad to the next level!

To make a citrus honey vinaigrette, or dressing, whisk citrus juice with vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and minced garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify.Angled photo of a ramekin pouring honey citrus dressing onto a Winter Citrus Salad layered with avocado, cucumbers and mint on a large white platter with pale purple linen and ramekin crispy chickpeas surrounding the platter - photo of step 3 of the winter citrus salad recipe.

Types of citrus to use in salad?

 If you are looking to make a stunning citrus salad with plenty of flavor, try incorporating a few varieties of citrus in your salad for a rainbow of colors. Or, for a simpler look, use two types of citrus and alternate colors.

  • Blood oranges – Crimson fleshed with a tart to semi-sweet flavor depending on type.
  • Navel oranges – The most common variety of oranges.
    • Cara Cara oranges – Pink fleshed with a sweet flavor
  • Mandarin oranges – Tangerines and Clementines are classified as mandarin oranges
    • Tangerines – A cousin of clementine oranges with a slightly less sweet flavor
    • Clementines – A cross between a mandarin and a sweet orange with a honey-like sweetness
  • Ruby Red grapefruit – Sweeter than other varieties of grapefruit
  • Pink grapefruit – Mildly tangy and sweet in flavor
  • White grapefruit – The least sweet variety of grapefruit and the most common in grocery stores
  • Kumquats – the smallest available oranges with a sweet and sour flavor and edible skin Overhead, up-close photo of Winter Citrus Salad.

How to make winter citrus salad? (tips & tricks)

1. If you want to save time and make this citrus salad quick and easy, you can use plain (un-crisped) chickpeas. Simply rinse and drain the chickpeas, then add them to the salad as is.

2. If you aren’t a fan of chickpeas, you can substitute rotisserie chicken or salmon for the chickpeas! Or, if you are looking for a boost of protein, feel free to use both chickpeas and chicken or salmon!

3. If you are looking to impress, try supreming your citrus! Just make sure you remove as much of the white pith around the oranges as possible to avoid any bitter taste.

How to cut citrus for salad?

To take your salad to the next level and elevate the presentation, alternate the types of cuts you use on your citrus. Peel and thinly slice some citrus and then supreme the rest.

Supreming is a culinary technique that removes the rind from citrus so it can be served in pretty segmented slices.

To supreme citrus:

  1. Trim ends.  Set citrus on clean work surface and trim off the ends with a sharp knife.
  2. Remove peel.  Following the shape of the citrus’s sphere, slice off the peel and pith in long sections.
  3. Slice into segments.  Set the fruit on its side and use a sharp knife to cut towards the center, along the membrane. Next, slice along the adjacent membrane until the cuts meet to release the segment. Overhead, up-close photo of Winter Citrus Salad with avocado, cucumbers and mint on a large white platter with serving spoons tucked into the salad and a ramekins of honey citrus vinaigrette next to the platter.

Healthy, colorful, and loaded with everything delicious, this winter citrus salad is perfect as lunch or a light meal, or it’s the perfect compliment to brunch and dinners!

Until next week, friends, cheers – to citrus season!

XOXO

Cheyanne

 

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*The recipe below calls for these Honey Roasted Crispy Chickpeas.

The best Winter Citrus Salad recipe👇

Overhead photo of Winter Citrus Salad with avocado, cucumbers and mint on a large white platter with a pale purple linen and ramekins of honey citrus vinaigrette and crispy chickpeas surrounding the platter.

Winter Citrus Salad

5 from 6 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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This stunning Winter Citrus Salad is quick, easy and comes together in less than 15 minutes! Finished with a Honey Citrus Vinaigrette, it’s the perfect refreshing side or light dinner!

Ingredients 

Salad:

  • 1 large head Bibb Lettuce (Little Gem, Boston or Living Lettuce) – leaves separated
  • 1 Blood Orange – peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 Cara Cara Orange – peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 Mandarin Orange – peeled and cut into segments
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 small Shallot – thinly sliced
  • ½ Seedless Cucumber – thinly sliced
  • Handful Fresh Mint or Parsley - torn
  • ½ Cup Pomegranate Arils
  • 1/3 Cup Walnuts – toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1 Cup Honey Roasted Chickpeas

Dressing:

Instructions

  • Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper and adjust for sweetness with more honey if desired. (Dressing will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for a week.)
  • Assemble the salad: Layer lettuce with oranges, avocado, shallots, cucumber and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with pomegranate, walnuts and crispy chickpeas.
  • To serve: Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. If you want to save time and make this citrus salad quick and easy, you can use plain (un-crisped) chickpeas.  Simply rinse and drain the chickpeas then add them to the salad as is.
  2. If you aren’t a fan of chickpeas, you can substitute rotisserie chicken or salmon for the chickpeas!  Or, if you are looking for a protein boost, feel free to use both chickpeas and chicken or salmon!
  3. Make sure you remove as much of the white pith around the oranges as possible to avoid any bitter taste.
  4. To supreme citrus (or cut into segments):
·        Trim ends.  Set citrus on clean work surface and trim off the ends with a sharp knife.
·        Remove peel.  Following the shape of the citrus’s sphere, slice off the peel and pith in long sections.
·        Slice into segments.  Set the fruit on its side and use a sharp knife to cut towards the center, along the membrane.  Next, slice along the adjacent membrane until the cuts meet to release the segment. 
*Nutritional information includes dressing, but does not include crispy chickpeas.

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal    Carbohydrates: 26g    Protein: 4g    Fat: 32g    Saturated Fat: 4g    Sodium: 23mg    Potassium: 619mg    Fiber: 6g    Sugar: 15g    Vitamin A: 1715IU    Vitamin C: 44.1mg    Calcium: 59mg    Iron: 1.5mg
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: American

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