This bright healthy Citrus Salad with a variety of fresh oranges and grapefruits and then dressed in a zesty orange citrus vinaigrette and topped with pistachios and mint
Winter months are peak citrus season but this fresh colorful salad is gorgeous and versatile with simple ingredients available year-round
Most citrus is now available year-round in every grocery store, but certain varieties of citrus can only be found in the winter season, such as blood oranges, white grapefruit, and Cara Cara oranges. The fun part about this simple citrus salad recipe is that you can use as many varieties as you want. We used five different types for our salad because our local farmers’ market was full of citrus varieties!
This salad is gluten-free and can be vegan (if you substitute the honey with agave)
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Ingredients for Winter Citrus Salad
This salad has 2 parts ~ the simple citrus vinaigrette and the salad greens with citrus
1. Citrus Dressing:
We like a simple orange vinaigrette but any light dressing will work
- Orange and Zest – freshly squeezed juice is best, and lemon juice, lime juice, or grapefruit juice are great substitutes for oranges if you want it more tart. Any of these tangy citrus fruits will work.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use the best quality because this is a simple vinaigrette and the oil is what gives this dressing a creamy texture
- Honey – adds a touch of sweetness to balance the tangy vinaigrette. (sub in agave for a vegan version)
- Salt and Black Pepper – add a pinch, or more, depending on your personal preferences
2. Citrus Salad Ingredients:
- Baby Arugula – Peppery arugula gives the salad a fresh bite, but you can use any type of sturdy fresh greens, such as radicchio, romaine lettuce, kale, or spring greens
- Pistachios – shelled and roasted, these nuts add a perfect salty contrast to the zesty sweet citrus
- Mint – fresh mint adds a pop of flavor to this salad. Mint and citrus are a classic flavor combination and a beautiful addition to this salad
- Citrus – Choose a colorful variety of at least two types. See below for more about the types of citrus we chose
How to make easy Citrus Salad Dressing
The orange vinaigrette for this salad is super easy and comes together in a flash. Using fresh citrus is the key to a zesty bright flavor.
- Whisk together fresh orange juice, orange zest, and honey in a small bowl
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue to whisk until fully emulsified and creamy
Assembling the Salad
- In a large salad bowl, toss the arugula with half of the vinaigrette and scatter the arugula on a large platter
- Place prepared sliced citrus slices on top of the arugula in a shingle pattern
- Drizzle more of the citrus honey dressing over the top
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and mint leaves
- You can also make a single serving side salad using a shallow bowl for each portion which makes a perfect light lunch
How to prep citrus
To prepare the citrus for the salad you need to remove the rind and the white pith (which is bitter), and then cut the fruit into wheels. Removing the peel is easy and quick with a little practice.
- Cut off both ends of the citrus
- Stand citrus up on one of the cut sides
- Slice off the peel in small segments by moving a sharp knife down the sides of the citrus from top to bottom, following the natural curve of the fruit, cutting away the peel and the white pith in strips
- Slice the fruit into wheels
- If you prefer segments (also called citrus supremes) instead of wheels you can follow our easy steps on How to Segment an Orange
How do you choose the best citrus?
Look for fruit with even colored peel, no bruising, limited blemishes, and little discoloration. The ripe fruit should feel heavy and it should smell fragrant.
We found five gorgeous types for our salad, but in the off-season, you can easily use just sweet oranges and tangy grapefruit, which are available year-round.
Winter Citrus reaches peak season and is the sweetest and juiciest from December to late March.
Here is what we used (pictured below left to right)
- Cara Cara Oranges ~ these oranges have distinctly pink flesh, a higher level of Vitamin C, and maintain the rich citrus flavor of a navel orange, with additional sweet hints of cranberry, blackberry, and raspberry
- Navel Oranges ~ the most common variety of oranges with a sweet juicy flavor. Look for thick bright skin
- Pink Grapefruit ~ rosy colored, semi-sweet and a little bit sour, pink grapefruit varies in color intensity. Ruby red or white grapefruit is a great alternative
- Pomelo ~ this citrus is part of the grapefruit family but has a more delicate, floral taste than grapefruit. They are sweeter, have lower acidity, and have a thicker white pith. The outside can be light green or yellow but the inside is white
- Blood Oranges ~ this gorgeous citrus fruit looks similar to navel oranges from the outside but has deep red, almost maroon-colored fruit and juice. The flavor is generally sweeter and they have a light raspberry taste
Substitutions and Additions for Citrus Salad
- Arugula – any study lettuce variety works well in this salad such as radicchio, curly endive, romaine, butter, or kale. Or skip it all together and make a lettuce-free salad.
- Citrus – choose any citrus that is in season!
- Mint – try other fresh herbs such as basil, chives, parsley, or cilantro
- Pistachios – any nut will work and is a great way to add crunch and salt to this salad. Consider walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or almonds. Toasted nuts are recommended for the added flavor boost
- Additional garnish ideas – during the holidays a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds looks gorgeous. Crumbled goat or feta cheese would also be nice
- Try adding freshly sliced creamy avocado, fennel, beets, crispy chickpeas, or red onion for a more hearty salad
- Make it a meal: Shredded chicken or salmon also pair well with citrus and can be layered on top to create a main dish
- Eating plant-based? Substitute the honey in the dressing with agave or rice syrup
Tips
- Prep Ahead: prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time, store separately in an airtight container, refrigerate (except nuts), and assemble just before serving
- Don’t dress this salad until just before serving for best results
- Store unpeeled citrus at room temperature for up to 3 days, and up to 7 days in the refrigerator
- Room-temperature citrus is juicier and better for squeezing fresh juice
- Be sure to wash any citrus before zesting
- Check out this fun chart featuring the best time of year for each type of citrus: When Citrus is in Season
Looking for more great citrus or salad recipes?
- Our classic Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette works on every salad!
- Arugula Beet Salad with Goat Cheese features fresh segmented oranges
- Herby Italian-inspired Gremolata, with lemon zest, is a fresh 5-minute topping for meats, seafood, soups, and pasta
- A classicTricolore Saladwith oranges features the best of winter produce
- These gorgeous Lemon Drop Martinis are a lemon bomb of flavor!
- Easy-peasy Sheet Pan Chicken with Lemon or Chili Lime Pork Tenderloin makes the perfect weeknight dinner
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Citrus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 navel orange peeled, pith removed, and sliced in rounds
- 2 cara cara oranges peeled, pith removed, and sliced in rounds
- 2 blood oranges peeled, pith removed, and sliced in rounds
- 1 pomelo peeled, pith removed, and sliced in rounds
- 1 ruby red or pink grapefruit peeled, pith removed, and sliced in rounds
- 6 cups baby arugula
- 2 Tablespoons roasted, shelled pistachios roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves for garnish
Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon honey (or agave)
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Orange Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing:
- Zest one orange, then cut it in half and squeeze 2 Tablespoons of the juice into a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the zest, and honey and whisk together. Drizzle in the olive oil one Tablespoon at a time, whisking until completely blended and emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Salad Preparation:
- Snip mint leaves from stems, wash and gently pat dry. Set aside for garnish.
- On a wooden cutting board, cut off both ends of the remaining orange. Stand orange up on the cut side and slice off the peel by moving a sharp knife down the sides of the orange from top to bottom, following the natural curve of the fruit, cutting away the peel and the white pith in strips. Cut orange, crosswise, into rounds. Repeat with all of the other citruses.
- In a large bowl toss arugula with half of the vinaigrette dressing and scatter on a large platter
- Arrange the sliced citrus in a shingled pattern on top of the arugula and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette dressing.
- Sprinkle with pistachios and mint leaves and serve
Notes
- For variety try our Easy Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette instead of the citrus dressing
- Want to keep it vegan? Use agave instead of honey in the dressing
- Store any unused dressing in the refrigerator for up to 7 days
Nancy
Delicious combination of juicy citrus fruits
Vanessa
Such a beautiful salad and perfect for a citrus lover like me!
Sonal Gupta
This is exactly what I was looking for to make this weekend to surprise my daughter who loves citrus. She saw a similar salad somewhere and has been asking me to make one at home. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Julia
Perfect for a crowd, thank you for another delicious recipe😋
Lima Ekram
Just made this recipe for a party! It was perfect!