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Citrus Salad

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Citrus salad is a beautiful blend of blood and naval oranges, grapefruit slices, and avocado drizzled with an orange dijon vinaigrette.

Best served over a bed of greens with a variety of winter citrus fruits, avocado, red onion, and goat cheese, this may become your new favorite dressing for citrus salad!

Winter Citrus Salad with Orange Dijon Vinaigrette

This recipe isn’t so much about the salad, as it is about the salad dressing. I stopped buying bottled dressing many moons ago, much to my family’s annoyance.

My family loves blue cheese dressing, Green Goddess dressing, or even some good olive oil with lemon juice or vinegar (and some salt and ground black pepper). But my 21-year-old, Emma, has always enjoyed my made-from-scratch orange vinaigrette dressing.

I don’t think many people realize how easy, and I mean really easy, it is to make a simple and delicious homemade orange citrus salad dressing.

Should I Use Olive Oil For Vinaigrette Dressing?

When you read the label on a bottle of “classic Italian” salad dressing, olive oil is almost never listed in the first few ingredients.

In a “classic” vinaigrette dressing, olive oil should be the star. This is also the time to use the best olive oil you can afford.

I have no less than 4 different types and qualities of olive oil in my cupboard. I splurge on the best imported olive oil from a local specialty store, (though sometimes I might collect them when I travel) just for drizzling on tomatoes in a Caprese salad or in salad dressing.

Citrus salad on a plate with Orange Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients in Orange Mustard Vinaigrette

A classic vinaigrette consists of oil, apple cider vinegar, or in this case, citrus juice, for acidity, and a bit of sweetness, either from a whisper of sugar or honey. Herbs are a nice touch, though not necessary.

My go-to fresh herb is thyme. While I love basil, I feel it is decidedly a summer herb. Thyme seems to float effortlessly between all the seasons.

Thyme also grows year-round in my pathway, making it easy to pick and add to just about any dish I prepare.

If you stick to the basic vinaigrette rule and test several types of oils and vinegar, you will find a blend that’s pleasing to your family.

To make the orange vinaigrette, simply whisk all of the ingredients together.

Serve immediately over salad greens and/or citrus slices, and store the rest in the refrigerator!

Orange Dijon Vinaigrette in a bowl with a whisk.

This orange dijon vinaigrette recipe is delicious with winter citrus fruits. I used grapefruit, oranges, and blood oranges, but it would also be delicious on a simple romaine salad.

In addition to the citrus fruits, this salad has avocado slices, purple onion, slivers of endive, and goat cheese. Those ingredients make this a lovely and light vegetarian entree.

Now that you have the lovely orange dijon dressing, it’s time to make the citrus salad.

How to Make a Citrus Salad

My citrus salad recipe, which makes around 8 servings, has these ingredients:

  • 2 oranges peeled and sliced
  • 2 blood oranges peeled and sliced
  • 1 grapefruit peeled and sliced
  • 2 avocados peeled and sliced
  • 1 purple onion peeled and sliced thinly
  • 8 cups field greens
  • 1 head radicchio sliced
  • 6 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • Fresh thyme for garnish

Making any kind of salad is easy, and a citrus salad is no exception!

All there is to do is lay the field greens on a platter or serving dish, arrange the fruit and avocado, and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Finally, drizzle with the orange dijon dressing, and enjoy!

Citrus fruits on a plate.
Winter Citrus Salad with Orange Dijon Vinaigrette

Orange Dijon Vinaigrette with Fresh Thyme

Cynthia
A simple vinaigrette for citrus or field greens. A little sweet, a little tangy with fresh thyme and orange juice. Makes about 3/4 cup dressing.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Whisk all dressing ingredients together. (Orange juice through black pepper)
  • Serve immediately over salad greens or citrus slices. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 160mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 29IUVitamin C: 5mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Citrus Salad with goat cheese and avocados in a Orange Dijon Vinaigrette. Gluten free. Paleo option.
cynthia

ABOUT CYNTHIA

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Comments

  1. Jelayne says

    Beautiful photograph of the Citrus Salad! It looks delicious. I’ve started making my own dressing with some olive oil from our local farmers market and I’ll definitely try your recipe.

    Reply

  3. Christina | Christina's Cucina says

    5 stars
    I’d frame these photos! They make me HAPPY! Not to mention reading what you just wrote about bottled “Italian dressings!” (APPLAUSE) There is a reason it is in quotation marks. I have never seen a bottle of dressing in Italy, although, maybe things may be changing over there as they seem to be copying the American lifestyle in many ways.

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Well, my husband loves his blue cheese dressing…so every once in a while I do buy him some blue cheese. But a homemade salad is so fast and so much healthier than store-bought.

      Reply

  9. Vicky @AvocadoPesto says

    I too am all about making salad dressing from scratch — so much better for you than the store bought. I am all about the basil and actually never cook with or use thyme in my recipes but need to give it a chance! Love the sound of this salad dressing!

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      I use basil mostly in the summer since it grows in my garden then…thyme grows year round so I tend to use it more in the winter and spring. I also think thyme has a much more subtle flavor for vinaigrettes.

      Reply

    • Diane says

      Sorry – I see, it’s a dressing recipe, with the other ingredients to be determined by whoever makes it. Looks delish!

      Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Well, it’s just a salad, so you could add one or 3. Same with the citrus, depending on how much salad you want, and how much you like, the salad dressing will make enough for several salads.

      Reply

  23. Anjali says

    5 stars
    This salad was so refreshing and delicious! Love the honey in the dressing – it really highlighted the citrus ingredients so well!

    Reply

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