Frisee Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado

This Frisée Citrus Salad is a winter salad recipe that is guaranteed to brighten your day! Crisp frisée lettuce is paired with sweet orange, tangy grapefruit and vibrant blood orange, along with creamy avocado, pistachios and a zesty citrus vinaigrette. It’s a simple yet elegant salad that’s bright, refreshing and so easy to make!

Out of all of my winter salad recipes, I gravitate toward the ones that incorporate citrus the most. Let’s face it — winter can be dreary and nothing brightens up a gloomy day more than the bright, refreshing flavor of citrus fruit!

My kale orange salad and Asian black rice salad have been favorites for years as they incorporate the juicy flavor of orange, but this Frisée Citrus Salad is brimming with three varieties of winter citrus — orange, blood orange and ruby red grapefruit.

Talk about brightening your day!

It also includes frisée lettuce, which is also known as “curly endive”. This lettuce has a slightly bitter flavor and crisp texture that works in warm salads like the French classic Salad Lyonnaise, or fresh, fruity salads like this one.

Thinly sliced fennel adds lots of crunch and a sweet anise flavor, while the avocado adds creaminess. Chopped pistachios add crunch and color, and the tangy citrus vinaigrette is the perfect finishing touch.

This salad is an elegant — but easy! — addition to any meal, and is the best way to celebrate citrus season! 🙂

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s an easy yet elegant winter salad that’s packed with bright flavors from a variety of tangy, sweet citrus, along with crisp frisée lettuce, crunchy fennel and creamy avocado.
• The salad components and citrus vinaigrette may be prepped 1-2 days in advance, making this a great meal prep option.
• You can customize this salad with your favorite citrus fruits, nuts, and greens.
• It’s packed with clean ingredients and is naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Recipe ingredients

This fennel citrus avocado salad includes a few ingredients that may be customized with what you have on hand.

• Frisee. Also called “curly endive”, and is a member of the chicory family. It’s got a crisp texture and a slightly bitter flavor, which is perfectly balanced with the fruit, vinaigrette and creamy avocado. See my post on chicory recipes for more about this variety of lettuce.
• Citrus. I used a combination of ruby red grapefruit, navel oranges 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 and crunchy, with the mild flavor of anise. It pairs beautifully with citrus! For more information, see my produce guide and collection of fennel recipes.
• Avocado. Adds creaminess and texture to the salad. For best results, add the avocado just before serving the salad to prevent it from browning or becoming mushy.
• Pistachios. May be subbed with your favorite nut or seed. Add just before serving to ensure that the pistachios maintain their crunchy texture.
• Dressing. My sweet, tangy citrus vinaigrette is a must for this salad! My honey champagne vinaigrette is a good alternative as well, or use your favorite store bought dressing.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make citrus salad

This citrus frisée salad is extremely easy to make, and the vinaigrette, citrus fruits, and fennel can all be prepped in advance if needed.

Pro tip: Prep the frisée, citrus, fennel and dressing 1-2 days in advance and store each component separately as the salad is best the day that it’s made.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

Prep the citrus

I prefer removing the peel and outer white pith from the citrus with a knife as shown below and slicing it as opposed to segmenting each piece of fruit.

Slicing it makes for a pretty presentation and the slices don’t get mushy or fall apart like citrus segments can.

1. Place each piece of citrus on a cutting board and cut off the tops and bottoms, creating a flat surface.
2. Stand the fruit up on the cutting board, and using a sharp knife, remove the peel and as much white pith as possible by cutting from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit.
3. Place the citrus on its side and cut into slices. Cut each slice in half or quarter depending on the size.

Assemble the salad

1. Prep the vinaigrette, frisée, fennel and gather your ingredients.
2. Assemble the frisée on a platter as shown, and top with the citrus and fennel. Drizzle generously with vinaigrette, then top with the avocado and pistachios, and drizzle more vinaigrette over the top and serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs

Serving suggestions

This is a fairly versatile salad that can be enjoyed alongside your favorite dinner recipes or as a main dish salad topped with your choice of protein.

• Pair the salad with family favorites like roast chicken or spaghetti squash lasagna.
• Turn it into a main dish salad by topping it with your choice of protein, such as air fryer chicken thighs.
• Add this to your holiday table next to the roasted turkey breast and maple glazed ham.

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: Prep the frisée, citrus, fennel and dressing 1-2 days in advance and store each component separately as the salad is best the day that it’s made.
• Sub the frisee with your favorite lettuce. Butter lettuce, arugula and spring lettuce are great choices as well!
• Use your favorite varieties of citrus. Cara cara oranges, mandarins, clementines, kumquats and pomelo are great additions.

More winter salad recipes you’ll love

• Pomegranate salad
• Radicchio salad
• Roasted beet salad
• Roasted delicata squash salad

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

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