This salad is the epitome of a recipe without a recipe, and I mean that in the best way. My Winter Salad with Seasonal Fruit + Citrus Vinaigrette comes together with essentially three components. Start with your favorite leafy greens, add a combination of any seasonal fruit, and toss with my Citrus Vinaigrette for the easiest salad ever. From there you can serve the salad as is, or you can add some toasted nuts or seeds for crunch, or crumbled cheese for added richness. It’s simple, seasonal, vibrant, and so flavorful. That’s my ideal salad situation. Have I convinced you to get pumped about a salad yet?!
Serve this salad alongside a hearty dish like my Gnocchi with Herby Brown Butter Sauce for the perfect special-occasion meal at home. As always, I am sharing endless ways to riff on this recipe beneath the instruction section. I’ve served this recipe with everything from fresh segmented citrus to sliced pears and persimmons, and you can’t go wrong. Be sure to check out the riff section for creative ways to spin this recipe depending on what flavors you like – it may even save you a trip to the grocery store!
- For the salad:
- 10-12 Ounces Mixed Leafy Greens and Lettuces (Little Gems, Arugula, Butter Lettuce, Raddichio, Kale, etc)
- 2 Small seasonal fruits, such as Bosc Pears, Winter Citrus, Asian Pears, Apples or Persimmons, sliced or segmented
- 1 batch of my Winter Citrus Vinaigrette, ingredients listed below:
- 2 Teaspoons fresh orange zest (about the zest of one large orange)
- 6 Tablespoons fresh orange juice (about the juice of one large orange)
- 2 Tablespoons diced shallot (1 small shallot)
- Kosher salt
- 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: splash of apple cider vinegar or pomegranate molasses for more acidity
- Optional Toppings:
- Few Handfuls of toasted nuts, seeds, or breadcrumbs
- Few handfuls crumbled goat, feta, or blue cheese, or big chunks of Parmesan cheese
- Make the dressing - instructions on that are here. Set aside.
- Arrange salad greens in large serving bowl.
- Place half of the prepared fruit on the greens (you'll put the other half on top of the greens after tossing with the dressing so they don't all fall to the bottom of the bowl).
- Right before serving, toss greens and fruit with enough dressing to coat. Top with rest of prepared fruit and any of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
A FEW NOTES ON RIFFS:
- The Greens: Use your favorite green or a combination of your favorites. I love any of the following (especially combining some of these varities together): arugula, little gem lettuce, butter lettuce, frisee, baby kale, dino kale, hearts of romaine, spinach, radicchio or chicories (both very bitter – start with a handful if you’re not a big fan of bitter and round out the rest of the greens with something on the milder end of the list).
- The Seasonal Fruit: Segmented citrus, such as blood oranges or Cara Cara oranges, grapefruit, and tangerine. Sliced apples, Bosc pears, or Asian pears all add a subtle sweetness and welcome crunch. Thinly sliced persimmons are vibrant and just subtly sweet enough.
- The Crunchy Toppings: Toasted pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds are favorites. If you can’t have nuts, try toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or even toasted breadcrumbs.
- The Cheese: Crumbled goat, feta, ricotta Salata, or blue cheese add richness and creaminess. Omit the cheese to keep it dairy-free.
Did you make this recipe?
I want to see your delicious creation! Leave me a comment below, and share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag, #whatannieseating !
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