Avocado Citrus Salad
Luscious segments of orange and grapefruit add their acidity to tender avocado quarters with red onion adding a bit of a bite in this unusually delicious winter salad, when the produce is at its best!
Does the suggestion of avocados and oranges combined in a salad pucker your brow? Greater palates than mine have already made the startling discovery that this is a great, inventive combo! I had to sample it first to wake up to the good word and acknowledge this salad as a lovely, flavorful medley, one that I am happy to sample again and again. And the connection made by our flavor memories suggests that we have tasted this before in a brilliant combo of avocado, citrus and onion. Yes - Mexican Guacamole! And who doesn’t love “green dip” (as my granddaughter called it, as opposed to “red dip” which was ketchup). In fact this salad might be considered something of a deconstructed guacamole! And no one would deny that guacamole’s refreshing mixture of avocado, lemon or lime and onion, is anything short of genius!
This beautiful salad must have been born of guacamole, in fact, if you have any salad leftovers, chop or mash it up for a super tortilla chip dip. The mellow, creamy avocado is lifted by the tang of citurs and the red onion adds a bite as a wake-up call to the senses. These typical “fruits of winter” come together in this salad, just when we need their lively burst of flavors the most. A great holiday or ”I miss summer” salad for any time of the year.
Avocado Citrus Salad
4 ripe Hass avocados
1/2 red onion, peeled and slivered
1 large red grapefruit
3 large navel or Cara Cara oranges
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 - 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional)
-Place the mustard, lemon juice, orange juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is smooth.
-Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 thick slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruit (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments. Do the same with the oranges.
-Add the orange and grapefruit sections to the vinaigrette along with the red onions. Toss until all ingredients are well coated. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary. Arrange on a large platter. Alternately, arrange the ingredients by placing the avocado pieces around the outside of the platter and the citrus segments and red onion in the center. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, (and pomegranate seeds if used) and serve. Serves 6 - 8
Cut each avocado in half and then in quarters, lengthwise and mix with the vinaigrette citrus dressing.
Toss the orange and grapefruit segments and red onion with the avocados and vinaigrette.
Arrange on a platter and serve.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
*You can segment the fruit so as to remove all the pith which is lovely and smooth to eat, but it does waste a lot of the fruit and takes a bit of time, so if you would rather not do it, just peel and remove the outer pith and break into the natural segments.
*The natural colors of the ingredients make a perfect holiday salad - especially with the addition of fresh pomegranate seeds. But don’t let that stop you from making it for other occasions. Such a light and refreshing salad!
