This stunning Citrus Salad is as beautiful as it is delicious with it’s vibrant, jewel tones and impressive presentation. Bursting with juicy oranges, sweet tangerines, crisp greens and perfectly dressed with a tangy citrus salad dressing, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, tart and fresh. An irresistible addition to any meal, this delightful salad will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of any table!
This citrus salad pairs perfect with my Crockpot Turkey Breast, Cranberry Sauce and this easy Christmas Cocktail! Each of these recipes have a hint of citrus that makes them extra special!
Citrus Salad Recipe
This gorgeous Citrus Salad is a fresh, vibrant addition to any meal and comes together in just minutes. You are going to love the combination of juicy oranges, sweet tangerines, and a pop of pomegranate seeds all drizzled with a zesty blood orange dressing, this salad is perfect as a vibrant appetizer or side dish everyone will love! This simple citrus salad recipe is as refreshing as it is beautiful.
Whether you’re looking for a light appetizer, a vibrant side dish for the holidays or just a way to brighten up your meal, this easy-to-make citrus salad recipe checks all the boxes. With its eye-catching presentation and bold flavors, it’s sure to impress. This irresistible salad is fresh, flavorful and full of color sure to become a new favorite!
This salad can be easily customized to accommodate in-season fruit. It’s incredibly quick and simple to make and a beautiful centerpiece – which makes this ‘winter citrus salad’ perfect as an appetizer or side at any time of year.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This vibrant Citrus Salad is a burst of sunshine on your plate! Made with juicy oranges, sweet tangerines, crisp greens, and a zesty orange honey mustard dressing, it’s the perfect appetizer or side dish. There’s so many reasons to love this delicious salad:
- Bright and Refreshing: The juicy citrus and crisp greens make every bite feel light and satisfying and is the perfect complement to heavy main dishes and sides.
- Beautiful Presentation: This salad is a showstopper with its colorful citrus rounds and pop of pomegranate seeds.
- Easy to Prepare: Simple steps and fresh ingredients make this recipe quick and stress-free to assemble.
- Holiday Ready: With it’s bright jewel tones and stunning presentation, this citrus salad is the perfect addition to any holiday menu and is a terrific way to brighten up your holiday table.
Not only is this Citrus Salad simple to make, but it’s also packed with nutrients and bursting with natural sweetness and tang. Plus, the homemade blood orange dressing ties everything together beautifully.
How to Make Citrus Salad
This salad is comprised of three components: the citrus, the greens and the dressing. You’ll need about 10 minutes to prep all the citrus but the rest of the salad comes together quickly. Feel free to make the dressing in advance and assemble when ready to serve.
Let’s take a quick look at how to make this salad and as always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prep Citrus: Use a sharp knife to remove the peel and white pith from the blood oranges oranges, then slice them into rounds. Do the same with the tangerines.
- Assemble: Arrange the arugula and microgreens on a serving platter. Layer the citrus slices in an overlapping pattern on top.
- Toppings: Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and lemon thyme over the citrus.
- Dressing: Whisk together the blood orange juice, orange zest, honey, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad.
If you prefer, you can segment or “supreme” the citrus instead of slicing into rounds.
Storage Information
This salad is best enjoyed right after it’s made but here is additional storage information if needed:
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dressing and slice the citrus in advance. Assemble just before serving for the freshest result.
- Leftovers: Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: Not recommended as the greens and citrus lose their texture when frozen.
Variations to Try
This vibrant Citrus Salad combines a variety of fresh citrus fruits and is drizzled with a blood orange, honey and mustard dressing. There are so many ways to customize this recipe but here are a few of our favorites:
- Consider adding protein to this salad to turn it from side dish to dinner. Include grilled shrimp, chicken, or salmon for a more filling dish.
- We used a variety of oranges to make this recipe as when blood oranges are in season we try to use them in as many dishes as possible! If you can’t find blood oranges you could try pink grapefruit instead. Any combination of citrus fruits will work well which makes this a salad that you can make any time of year.
- Arugula is a good base for this salad and adds a nice peppery flavor which is a great contrast for citrus. You could use mixed leaves or spinach if you prefer.
- For an extra tang, you could also add some thinly sliced red onion.
- The micro greens are a fun addition to this salad but if you can’t find them a good alternative would be baby greens or extra herbs such as mint or basil.
- This salad would work very well with the addition of cheese such as feta or blue cheese.
- For an extra crunch, you could also consider adding some nuts such as pistachios or pecans.
Can I use bottled orange juice for the dressing?
Freshly squeezed juice is best for vibrant flavor, but bottled juice can work in a pinch.
Is this salad vegan?
No but it can be. Simply swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar in the dressing.
Can I make the citrus salad dressing in advance?
Absolutely! Just give it a good shake before dressing the salad.
Trish’s Tips
- Choose fresh, unblemished ingredients. Ripe, juicy citrus and crisp greens make all the difference in this simple salad.
- A sharp knife will ensure clean cuts and slices without damaging the fruit.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing just before serving to keep the greens crisp.
- This winter citrus salad is so customizable (see the variations to try above) so please don’t enjoy it just in the winter season – it’s delicious all year round!
More Delicious Salads To Try
Citrus Salad
Ingredients
Citrus Salad
- 2 blood oranges
- 2 naval oranges
- 4 tangerines
- 3 cups arugula
- ½ cup micro greens
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- fresh thyme lemon thyme is lovely in this salad
Citrus Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice about 1 orange, or regular orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Citrus Salad
- To prepare the blood and naval oranges, remove the peel and white pith using a sharp pairing knife. Peel the tangerines by hand then thinly slice all the citrus into rounds.2 blood oranges, 2 naval oranges, 4 tangerines
- On a large serving platter arrange the arugula followed by the micro greens.3 cups arugula, ½ cup micro greens
- On top of this, arrange the sliced citrus in an overlapping pattern.
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds and lemon thyme leaves on top.¼ cup pomegranate seeds, fresh thyme
Citrus Dressing
- In a small bowl, add the blood orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.¼ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
- Whisk together thoroughly then check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Just before serving, drizzle the orange honey mustard dressing over the salad.
- Enjoy as an appetizer or side dish!
Notes
See the post above for more tips, variations and ingredient substitutions.
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