For most people, the holiday season is a time dedicated to getting together and feasting on hearty food. And while I can’t deny that I thoroughly enjoy all of the roasted meats, gravies, and hearty potato dishes; sometimes I need something light to cleanse the pallet, like a salad. And one of my favorite salads to make during the winter is this refreshing citrus salad.
A truly unique salad
To be honest, when I first heard about citrus salad I was a little skeptical. You see, unlike most salads, this one doesn’t feature any leafy greens, it’s entirely made out of citrus fruit.
Crazy right?
But trust me when I say that this salad is amazing. It’s incredibly delicious with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter flavors. Making it is fairly straightforward and easy so it’s great for feeding a large crowd. And it’s so beautiful with pops of vibrant and fresh colors that it’s guaranteed to WOW your guests.
How to properly peel your citrus fruit
The most time-consuming part of making this salad is the peeling of your citrus fruit. But don’t worry, it’s really not that difficult of a process.
Start by removing the tops and bottoms of the fruit with a sharp knife. Make sure that you cut in deep enough so that you take off both the peel and some of the flesh.
Next, you want to stand the fruit up on one of these flat sides and take your knife to cut down and around a portion of the peel. Again make sure that you remove most, if not all of the white pith as it can be bitter.
Then all you have to do is continue to cut the peel off of the citrus using this first cut as a template for how deep you need to go.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- The beauty of this citrus salad is that you can use any citrus fruit that you want, or have on hand. For example, if you don’t like the bitterness of grapefruit then leave it out. Or if you have some tangerines lying around getting old, then add them in. It’s really up to you and your personal preference.
- Can you make this salad ahead of time? Of course! Just peel & cut the citrus fruit, arrange it on a plater, and stick it in your fridge. Then when it’s time to eat all you have to do is garnish it up and pour on the salad dressing
- Make sure to save all of those citrus peels and use them to freshen up your home with a stovetop potpourri.
- Try out some of our other salad recipes like Arugula & mushroom salad, Broccoli salad with honey mustard dressing, and Sweet spinach salad.
Citrus Salad Recipe
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 Medium grapefruit, peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
2 Navel oranges, peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
2 to 3 Blood oranges, peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
1 Lemon, peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds (optional, mainly for color)
For the dressing:
2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 Shallot, minced (optional)
1 Teaspoon of poppy seeds (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional garnishes:
Pomegranate seeds
Chopped pistachios
Mint leaves, minced
Instructions
- Prep the citrus fruit: Use a sharp knife to peel off the rinds of each citrus fruit and cut the flesh into roughly ½ sized rounds. Place the citrus rounds on a large flat serving dish in a way that is visually appealing.
- Make the dressing: Add all of the ingredients for the salad dressing into a small mixing bowl. Then use either a whisk or a fork to beat the ingredients together until they are combined and slightly emulsified.
- Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachio nuts, and minced mint leaves over the citrus fruit. Then pour on the salad dressing and serve.
Citrus Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium grapefruit peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
- 2 Navel oranges peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
- 2 to 3 Blood oranges peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds
- 1 Lemon peeled & cut into ½ inch rounds (optional, mainly for color)
For the dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons of honey
- 1 Shallot minced (optional)
- 1 Teaspoon of poppy seeds optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Optional garnishes:
- Pomegranate seeds
- Chopped pistachios
- Mint leaves minced
Instructions
- Prep the citrus fruit: Use a sharp knife to peel off the rinds of each citrus fruit and cut the flesh into roughly ½ sized rounds. Place the citrus rounds on a large flat serving dish in a way that is visually appealing.
- Make the dressing: Add all of the ingredients for the salad dressing into a small mixing bowl. Then use either a whisk or a fork to beat the ingredients together until they are combined and slightly emulsified.
- Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachio nuts, and minced mint leaves over the citrus fruit. Then pour on the salad dressing and serve.
