Blood Orange Salad

This Blood Orange Salad is paired with fennel, avocado, and chopped walnuts over greens with a simple blood orange vinaigrette that combines the flavors for a bright and vibrant salad.

It’s the season for blood oranges! When you’re in the dark days of winter, this beautifully tart citrus fruit brings a hint of sunshine and color to these dreary days.

We’re approaching the end of January, so our days are cold, dark, and cloudy. I’m already itching for spring, but I’ve been through enough winters to know I have a long road ahead before the seasons shift.

Luckily for me, it’s blood orange season! My boys and I went to one of my favorite local grocery stores the other night. I love it because their produce area is booming with colorful organic fruits and veggies that I can’t find in most other grocery stores.

We passed by the blood oranges, and I HAD to pick them up! They were gorgeous with their purple/red rind. Then we rolled past the greens, and I saw some fennel and a spring mix, and just like that, this salad was born!

Paired with some avocado slices for natural creaminess and a few chopped walnuts for crunch, this salad will make you feel like you’re sunning yourself in Florida, even if you’re stuck inside watching the snowfall.

The kids enjoyed this vegan salad recipe too! They weren’t sure what to think of the fennel, but they tried it. I love the licorice flavor of fennel, but the kids, not so much! Oh well, more for me! I even had a little leftover. I plan to sauté with some salt and pepper and eat it as a snack!

Jump to:

• Why This Salad Works
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• Blood Orange Salad Instructions
• Blood Orange Salad FAQS
• Expert Tips
• More Salad Recipes!
• Recipe

Why This Salad Works

• It’s quick and easy
• Vegan and Gluten-Free
• It takes under 10 minutes to pull together
• Simple oil-free citrus vinaigrette
• Avocado and walnuts provide healthy fats
• Full of color
• Bright flavors
• A great way to serve the kids some greens!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Salad

Spring Greens: You can use any kind of greens or lettuce that you like. I like the delicacy of spring greens.

Blood Oranges: They are in season during the winter months. They have reddish-purple skin and a tart flavor with hints of raspberry.

Fennel: Adds a hint of licorice flavor that pairs nicely with blood oranges.

Avocado: The creaminess of the avocado adds healthy fats.

Walnuts: For added crunch. However, you can use any other type of nuts that you like, such as pecans or almonds.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Blood Orange Juice: Use fresh blood orange juice.

Lemon Juice: Adds a bit more tart flavor to the vinaigrette.

Garlic: Minced

Dijon Mustard: For a hint of spice.

Maple Syrup: Balances out the tart and spicy flavors with a hint of sweetness.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Blood Orange Salad Instructions

Prepare the Vegetables

Step 1: Wash the greens and pat dry.

Step 2: Cut three blood oranges into rounds. (Note: I left the rind on some of my oranges because I liked the look of it. You can remove the peel on all the oranges to make them easier to eat.)

Step 3: Chop the fennel bulb into thin slices—roughly chop walnuts. Cut avocado into thin slices.

Step 4: Lay out the greens on a large platter. Top with fennel, orange slices, avocado, and walnuts. Set aside.

Prepare the Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Step 1: Squeeze the juice of one blood orange into a bowl. I used my measuring cup to see how much juice I was getting. You’ll want about ¼ cup of juice. If you have a little more or less from your orange, that’s fine.

Step 2: Squeeze 2 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the container with orange juice.

Step 3: Add minced garlic clove, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Prepping the Salad

When you’re ready to serve the salad, drizzle the vinaigrette over the top.

Blood Orange Salad FAQS

Expert Tips

• You can use any lettuce or leafy green you choose in this salad. I recommend using spring greens, spinach, romaine, or bib lettuce.
• When preparing your blood oranges, you can cut them into rounds, removing the peel, I think this shows off their beautiful color the best, but you can also cut the oranges into sections or bite-sized pieces.
• Remove nuts if you prefer, or substitute another nut. Pine nuts would work well too. I had walnuts on hand, so that’s what I used.
• When preparing your fennel, remove the long stems, cut the bottom of the bulb, and remove the core. Then cut thin slices lengthwise.

More Salad Recipes!

Recipe