Citrus Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing
This Citrus Avocado Salad with a homemade sweet lemon dressing comes together with a base of six seasonal ingredients for a simple, refreshing recipe full of flavor and nutrients!
I love easy, delicious salad recipes like my Simple Butter Lettuce Salad, Toasted Pine Nut and Cherry Salad, and my Ultimate Caesar Salad. However, this citrus and avocado salad is my go-to option during the warm summer months. Sweet and refreshing, it features a combination of fresh produce that satisfies your taste buds without leaving you feeling heavy.
For example, the creamy avocado pairs wonderfully with the tart seasonal citrus. Then, the jalapeño lends a touch of heat that’s immediately cooled by the refreshing cucumbers. Topped with crushed cashews for texture and crunch, this salad is always a winner.
Unlike chopped salads or tossed salads where all the ingredients are added to a bowl and combined, this recipe is what I consider a composed salad, meaning it takes a little more time and care to assemble. That said, it’s still quick and easy to create and is perfect for a romantic dinner alongside a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc or for a beautiful summer dinner party.
Truly a show stopper, you’ll be making this sweet, refreshing recipe all season long!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Dressing
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This forms the base of the dressing, and the healthy fats allow our bodies to more easily absorb the fat-soluble vitmains in the fruit and veggies.
- Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best results!
- Honey – This adds sweetness, balancing some of the acidity of the lemon. Adjust the amount included to suit your preferences. If preferred, you can use maple syrup to keep this recipe vegan.
- Salt and Cracked Black Pepper – Adjust to taste.
For the Avocado Citrus Salad
- Oranges – Use any oranges you like best. Navel, Cara Cara oranges, blood oranges, or even mandarins are great options.
- Avocado – Look for avocados that are dark green and bumpy and give just slightly when gently squeezed.
- Jalapeño – Remove the white membrane and seeds to tone down the heat.
- Cucumber – I recommend using either English or Persian cucumbers because they have thinner skins and fewer seeds than other varieties.
- Cashews – I love to use salted cashews to balance out some of the sweetness of the dish, but raw cashews will also work.
- Fresh Basil – These add a sweet, pungent, mildly spicy taste.
- Maldon Sea Salt – A finishing salt, this is large, slightly crunchy, and creates a delicious sweet and savory taste when sprinkled over this salad.
Nutrition Notes
Not only does this avocado citrus salad boast a truly unique flavor, but it’s also packed with vitamins, nutrients, healthy fats, and fiber to leave you feeling your best! For instance:
- Oranges are loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals. One orange provides 100% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C.
- Avocados are nutrient-dense fruits that have a lot of health benefits. Research shows that avocados support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, nutrients, and minerals which can enhance the immune system.
- Jalapeños are low in calories and a great source of capsaicin. Capsaicin is the compound that gives jalapeños their spice. A study conducted on capsaicin shows that it “enhances the immune status” which means that capsaicin can help support our immune systems as well.
How to Make a Citrus Avocado Salad
- Make the dressing. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, and cracked black better in a bowl until smooth.
- Prepare the oranges. Wash and dry the oranges, and slice off both ends. Then, slice the fruit into equal-sized rounds. Peel the skin off the rounds, and set the orange slices aside.
- Prepare the other ingredients. Peel, pit, and slice the avocado. Thinly slice the jalapeño and cucumber, and crush the salted cashews in a sealable bag using the back of a spoon or a mallet.
- Assemble the salad. Add a drizzle of the prepared dressing to the bottom of two plates. Add a few slices of orange on top followed by the avocado, cucumber, and sliced jalapeño. Top everything with crushed cashews and a few basil leaves. Finish with a pinch of Maldon sea salt, and serve chilled.
Alternative Plating Option: If preferred, you can add the salad ingredients to the plate first. Then, drizzle the dressing on top.
Pro-Tip: Chill your plates in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before building the salads. This adds a nice touch and makes the salad feel even more fresh and crisp!
Pro-Tip: Best enjoyed immediately. If you store this salad, make sure it is covered and refrigerated. DO NOT add the dressing or the salt until you are ready to serve it. Please keep in mind, that the avocado may begin to brown after it is peeled and sliced so take that into consideration when preparing this salad for friends or family.
How to Prep Ahead and Store
Once assembled, this citrus avocado salad is best enjoyed immediately. However, you can prepare the components ahead of time.
- Slice the oranges, cucumber, and jalapeño, and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Crush the cashews, and store them in a sealable bag at room temperature.
- Whisk the dressing, and store it in a sealable jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a good whisk before serving to redistribute the ingredients.
When you’re ready to eat, simply assemble the ingredients, add the avocado, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you peel oranges as pictured in this recipe? Simply slice the orange into evenly sized rounds, and remove the outer peel. This is the easiest and cleanest way to prepare the orange. However, you could also segment or supreme your orange if you prefer.
What type of salt do you like to use? I like to finish this dish with a pinch of Maldon sea salt. Please keep in mind that salt extracts moisture. So only add the salt right before you serve this dish.
What other nuts can I use? The crushed salted cashews are really nice with this dish. However, pistachios, toasted pine nuts, or even sesame seeds would work, too.
Citrus Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 medium oranges
- 1 small avocado, ½ per plate
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup English cucumber, thinly sliced, Persian cucumber works too
- 2 tablespoons salted cashews, crushed
- few leaves basil, fresh
- pinch Maldon sea salt
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- ½ tablespoon honey
- pinch kosher salt, to taste
- few turns cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
How to Make this Avocado Citrus Salad
Make the Dressing
- Combine extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Orange
- Wash and dry an orange and remove the ends. Slice the orange into evenly sized rounds. Peel the skin off of the rounds and set the orange slices aside.
Prepare the Other ingredients
- Peel, pit and slice the avocado into evenly sized pieces, thinly slice the jalapeno and English cucumber. Option to use Persian cucumber instead. Add the salted cashews to a sealable bag and gently crush them using the back of a spoon or mallet. Finally, pinch some fresh basil leaves off of your basil plant.
Assemble the Salad
- Grab two plates, and add a drizzle of dressing to the bottom of each plate. Use as much or as little dressing as you prefer. Option to drizzle dressing over everything once it is composed, but I like adding it to the bottom of the plate so you do not disrupt the beauty of the composed ingredients. Next, add a few slices of orange to the plate. Layer on the slices avocado, sliced cucumber, and sliced jalapeno. Feel free to be creative. Top everything with crushed cashews and a few fresh basil leaves. Finish with a pinch of maldon sea salt and serve.
2 Comments on “Citrus Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing”
Such a unique salad recipe! I made this for my friends and everyone enjoyed it.
love this salad recipe. It’s easy to make and tasty.