Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado
If you’ve got the winter blues, this Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado is guaranteed to brighten your day! This refreshing winter salad is served with a tangy, sweet orange vinaigrette and it comes together in minutes!
Citrus is one of my favorite things about winter. I love it all, and incorporate it into my recipes on a daily basis.
I love that it’s so versatile and can be used in dinners like lemon dijon salmon, desserts like key lime bars, and salads like this Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado.
It’s amazing how just a little bit of citrus can make the flavors of a dish pop. It truly makes everything better!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s packed with bright flavors from a variety of tangy, sweet citrus, along with crisp fennel and creamy avocado for a memorable winter salad.
- It’s drizzled with a flavorful orange vinaigrette that may be prepped in advance.
- You can customize this salad with any varieties of citrus and even add greens for a nutrition boost.
- It’s gluten free and vegan!
Recipe ingredients
This fennel citrus salad includes a few ingredients that may be customized with what you have on hand.
Ingredient notes
- Citrus. I used a combination of grapefruit, navel and blood oranges, but any of your favorite varieties of citrus will work! Cara cara oranges, tangerines, clementines, kumquats or pomelo would work as well!
- Fennel. If you aren’t familiar with fennel, it’s very crisp with the mild flavor of anise and it pairs beautifully with citrus. The “leaves” or fronds add freshness similar to herbs, so be sure to incorporate them too! For more information, see my guide on fennel.
- White balsamic vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a great substitution.
- Maple syrup. This may be substituted with honey.
How to make this recipe
This citrus salad is extremely easy to make! Pro tip: Prep the dressing, citrus and fennel in advance to make this recipe even faster.
- To prep your citrus, simply cut off the top and bottom of each, and place standing up on a cutting board.
- Remove the peel from the sides by cutting from top to the bottom, removing as much of the white pith as possible, then slice.
- Place the orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small jar and seal tightly with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Place large fennel fronds over the bottom of a platter, then begin layering half of the citrus and fennel over the top. Drizzle with the desired amount of orange vinaigrette, then layer the remaining half of the citrus and fennel. Top with sliced avocado, additional fennel fronds, and drizzle with more dressing. Serve and enjoy!
FAQs
The majority of citrus fruits are sweeter and juicier during the winter months in North America. The timing couldn’t be better, because we can all use a boost of Vitamin C from citrus during the cold and flu season. Winter citrus includes navel, cara cara and blood oranges, tangerines, clementines, kumquats, grapefruit, pomelo, meyer lemons, lime and more!
Salads are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, so eating a salad a day is always a good idea. In the winter months, it’s even more important to load up on nutritious salads to boost the immune system to help combat colds and flu.
Creamy, mayo laden salad dressings such as ranch, blue cheese and Caesar are high in fat, calories and cholesterol, so they should be used sparingly. Vinaigrettes are a better choice as they’re packed with heart healthy olive oil and vinegar.
Recipe notes
- Salad is best enjoyed the day that it’s made.
- Pro tip: Prep the dressing, citrus and fennel in advance to make this recipe even faster.
- The orange vinaigrette may be stored in the refrigerator and used within 2 weeks.
- Toss in your favorite greens for added nutrition if desired!
More citrus recipes you’ll love:
- Blood orange moscow mule
- Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken by Comfort of Cooking
- Key lime pie
- Orange smoothie
- Radicchio salad
- Roasted beet salad
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or snap a photo and tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado
Ingredients
For the citrus salad:
- 2 blood oranges
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 fennel bulb top removed, halved, and sliced thinly (reserve the fennel fronds for the salad)
- 1 avocado pitted and sliced
For the orange vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- To prep your citrus, simply cut off the top and bottom of each, and place standing up on a cutting board.
- Remove the peel from the sides by cutting from top to the bottom, removing as much of the white pith as possible, then slice.
- Place the orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small jar and seal tightly with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Place large fennel fronds over the bottom of a platter, then begin layering half of the citrus and fennel over the top. Drizzle with the desired amount of orange vinaigrette, then layer the remaining half of the ctirus and fennel. Top with sliced avocado, additional fennel fronds, and drizzle with more dressing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Salad is best enjoyed the day that it’s made.
- Pro tip: Prep the dressing, citrus and fennel in advance to make this recipe even faster.
- The orange vinaigrette may be stored in the refrigerator and used within 2 weeks.
- Toss in your favorite greens for added nutrition if desired!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
48 Comments on “Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado”
This is such a beautiful looking salad. All the colours are brightening up this grey day.
I have never actually tried fennel, but I really should.
Thank you, Dannii! I do love the eye popping colors of all the citrus here, and fennel is just deliciously fresh and crunchy…I hope you try it!
This is such a pretty salad, Marcie! I have to admit that I haven’t had fennel in the longest time! I love that you used it in this salad, though. It sounds like it pairs perfectly with the grapefruit and avocado. This is just what I need to remind me that spring is (hopefully) on its way soon in Chicago! 🙂
Thank you, Gayle! I forget about fennel sometimes and then I go on the rampage a little bit and use it a lot! This salad does somehow look like spring in the dead of winter, too. 🙂
So colorful and a healthy recipe…awesome
Thank you, Puja!
I totally agree that fennel is underrated, I don’t know why because it is absolutely delicious! LOVE this salad, Marcie!! So beautiful and packed with deliciousness! All the citrus in here has my taste buds salivating! Definitely making this soon! Cheers, friend!
Thank you, Cheyanne! I sometimes forget about fennel and then I use it a ton…I love how fresh and crunchy it is! And it’s so perfect with all of the delicious citrus that’s in season now!
I’m so obsessed with fennel this year. In fact, I just ate some on a pizza for lunch today! And now I think this salad should go on my dinner menu. It’s beautiful. Like a ray of sunshine in the middle of winter!
Fennel on pizza sounds like a delicious idea, Liz! Thank you so much, friend, and have a great day!
I felt the same way about fennel when I first tried it a few years ago but now I really do love it. It sounds awesome in this refreshing winter salad! I love all the gorgeous citrus in here! 🙂
Thank you, Kelly!
I love the combination of different flavors in this dish, Marcie!
Thank you, Erin!
This looks unreal! So many fresh and zingy flavors 🙂 Pinning!
Thank you, Medha!
I’m sort of obsessed with how GORGEOUS this salad is! The colors are beyond stunning, and the flavors sound incredible. Pinned, and must try this soon!
You’re so sweet — thank you, Rachel!
This salad looks perfect and very seasonal Marcie! Glad you used fennel! Pinning 🙂
Thank you, Mira!
This salad looks so pretty and absolutely delicious, Marcie! I love that you added in some fennel too, it sounds so perfect 🙂
Thank you, Danielle! 🙂
This salad is so beautiful! I am OBSESSED with everything citrus these days! How awesome that it’s in season during our coldest, darkest time of the year 🙂
Thanks so much, Ashley! Citrus truly is our bright spot during the winter!
Well this is just too pretty to touch! I love all the color citrus during the winter. I’m guilty of not using fennel as much butbtbisnsalad is inspiring me to change that. Beautiful!
Thank you so much, Zainab! Truthfully I though the salad looked like a hot mess when I was layering it but I should probably keep that to myself! haha
All of that citrus looks gorgeous Marcie! What a wonderful salad for this time of year. 🙂
Thank you, Christin! 🙂
Um, SWOONING over here! This salad is seriously SO gorgeous, Marcie! I’m obsessing over how amazing that beautiful citrus looks with the fennel and avocado! Stunning photos too, girl!
You’re too sweet, Sarah — thank you for the kind words!
Beautiful looking salad, Marice! I’ve love putting fennel to my recipes, but haven’t ventured much beyond that in using them. I love citrus and avocado combo. So good!
Thank you, Anu!
This salad looks absolutely sensational!!
Thank you, Jocelyn! 🙂
Love fennel! And I am glad I have a few avocados ripening on the counter. 🙂
Thank you, Aimee!
This salad is a show stopper, Marcie! It’s so colorful and your pictures look like they are straight out of a magazine. So pretty!
Also, I completely agree that fennel doesn’t get enough attention. I have been eating it like crazy in my salads this winter. I love the crunchy texture and light, refreshing flavor!
Thank you so much, Sarah — that means a lot coming from you. 🙂 While I love fennel roasted, I love it raw the best because of that addicting crunch!
I am definitely loving all the winter produce! I think the people at the grocery store think I’m a little nuts with how much I buy each week! lol This salad is just so so pretty (and sounds fantastic too!)
I go produce crazy too — it’s hard not to! Thanks, Ashley! 🙂
I love this salad! Looks so simple and yummy ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thank you, Summer! 🙂
Thank you, Keith!
Thank you, Sharon! Citrus is definitely the ray of sunshine during the winter!
Oh, I love love this salad so much. Fennel should be used a lot more, it is one of those vegetables I adore and I hope I use it more. This is a great way to have more fennel. Love it my dear.
Thank you so much, and I need to use fennel more myself! 🙂
What a gorgeous salad! The avocado–oh yes!
Thank you, Letty!