California Citrus Salad
Grapefruit, Avocado, Cucumber, Onion and honey-grapefruit vinaigrette over hearty romaine. Sunny, flavorful and fresh! Perfect as a main dish or alongside grilled or roast chicken.
Servings 4 people
Calories 186kcal
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 firm-ripe avocados
- 1 large grapefruit (see below for processing)
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
- 3 tbls. grapefruit juice (from processed grapefruit)
- 1 tbls. olive oil
- 2 tsps. honey
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Prep:
- Combine diced cucumber and onion into a medium bowl--set aside.
- Using a new medium bowl, prep grapefruit by cutting it in half, then quartering each half. Section the chunks and remove all seeds and white pith. Grapefruit chunks and juice should all be together.
Make Honey Vinaigrette:
- Combine olive oil, honey, salt and pepper into a small bowl. Remove the grapefruit juice and stir it into the oil/honey mixture (1 large grapefruit should yield 3-3.5 tablespoons of juice)--try to use all of the juice, reserving the chunks of fruit.
Final Steps:
- Pour vinaigrette over cucumber/onion mixture and toss to coat evenly. For best flavor, let stand for 10-15 minutes while thinly slicing the avocados and washing/chopping romaine.
- Add grapefruit segments to cucumber/onion mixture and toss again to coat.
- Assemble salads by adding lettuce to each plate, then top with grapefruit/cucumber/onion mixture and a few slices of avocado.
Notes
The salad needs to be assembled fresh, but topping mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge up to 3 days ahead. Cold pickling enhances the flavors. Top lettuce and add avocado just before serving.
If you prefer easier grapefruit sectioning, simply cut in half and scoop out flesh with a grapefruit spoon--this yields a little more juice but less large chunks/pulp.
Other lettuce types or salad mixes can be subbed, but romaine holds up best to the weight of the salad toppings.
1 avocado is enough for 3-4 thin slices per salad--use 2 avocados if you prefer more per plate.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal