This bright and vibrant Citrus Avocado Salad is made from three different types of oranges, creamy avocado slices, tangy goat cheese, and crunchy pistachios, topped with a sweet and citrusy vinaigrette. It is a great side salad for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner to highlight the abundance of citrus fruits available in winter and early spring.
I have mentioned it before, but I am seriously having a moment with citrus fruits right now. In fact, I’ll admit, I currently have about 4 lbs of limes and 8 lbs of cara cara oranges sitting on my kitchen counter that I just picked up at Sams Club the other day. I have no idea what I am going to do with them all, but you can bet that at least some of those babies will be juiced up for cocktails like this Rosemary Citrus Moscow Mule.
But enough about my citrus obsession, and back to this stunning Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Goat Cheese. This salad is a real show stopper! With vibrant oranges in a trio of colors, complemented by the creamy green avocado and pistachios, this salad is as much of a treat for the eyes as it is the taste buds. This orange salad is perfect for serving to company, and will certainly brighten up any breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.
How Do You Make Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Goat Cheese?
This salad uses three different types of oranges: blood oranges with a deep, dark ruby red color and a fruity, subtle raspberry taste, cara cara oranges with a bright pink color and a sweet citrus flavor, and regular navel oranges for that classic orange flavor and tang. Each type of citrus offers a slightly different flavor profile and beautiful color, so I really recommend getting all three varieties, but if you can’t find any of the varieties, you can always substitute another and it will still taste delicious.
The first step to making this Citrus Avocado Salad is slicing up all of the citrus. There is a lot to slice, so it is a little time consuming, but with a sharp knife and the right technique, it should be pretty simple. When slicing the oranges follow these steps:
- Start with the Right Equipment: You will want to make sure you start with a sharp knife to make slicing easier. I prefer to use my large butcher’s knife for cutting off the peel and a smaller serrated knife when slicing the orange. You will also want to use a large cutting board, preferably one with a grooved edge for helping catch extra juice (which we will use later).
- Slice off the Peel: I hardly ever peel oranges by hand any more, I hate they way the oils make my hands feel. Plus, I can never seem to get off all of the white pith. So instead, use a sharp knife to first cut off the top stem end of the orange. You want to cut about a quarter to a half of an inch in (depending on the size of your orange). Next, trim the opposite end, giving you two flat ends. Turn the orange so it is standing on one of the flat ends, then make a slice down and around the orange, following the curve of the orange. The idea is that you should remove the white pith and peel, revealing the inside flesh of the orange, without too much waste. Rotate the orange, and make another similar vertical slice next to the first. Continue around the orange until all of the peel and white pith is removed.
- Slice your Oranges: After all of the peel is removed, slice each orange along the equator in about ¼ inch thick slices. I like to use a serrated knife for this, as I find it easier, but if your butchers’ knife is nice and sharp, it should work for this as well.
- Save the Juice!: Finally, don’t forget to save the juice from all of those oranges to use in the dressing. A couple of times when slicing, I will pick up my cutting board and dump the excess juice into a bowl. I also reserve any of the end and peel pieces that had some extra flesh and squeeze those into the bowl as well.
To finish off this Citrus Avocado Salad, I added a couple of other ingredients for texture, color, and flavor. This includes:
- Thinly sliced avocado for creaminess and fattiness to contrast the tangy citrus punch
- Shelled and roughly chopped pistachios for extra crunch
- Crumbled goat cheese for tang and creaminess
- Chopped fennel fronds for an herby, anise flavor (if you don’t have any fennel fronds laying around the kitchen – and I only did since I use some fennel for another recipe – feel free to see the substitution options below)
- A quick citrus, apple cider vinaigrette to add sweetness, tanginess, and pull the whole salad together
What Else Could I Add to this Orange Salad?
This orange and avocado salad is pretty versatile, so you can also mix up the ingredients to your tastes. Below are a couple of substitutions and additions that I recommend:
- Add in some sliced cooked beets (golden or traditional red beets would look gorgeous here!)
- Substitute one of the oranges for tart grapefruit (or just add it in addition to the oranges)
- Substitute the pistachios for pepitas, pine nuts, or cashews
- Substitute crumbled feta for the goat cheese for a more subtle flavor
- Substitute roughly chopped or torn basil, dill, or cilantro for the fennel fronds
Looking for more creative recipes to use up the bounty of great citrus fruits available in winter and early spring? Check out some of my favorite citrus recipes:
- Orange Honey Butter
- Strawberry Blood Orange Margarita Pitcher
- Rosemary Citrus Moscow Mule
- Pulled Pork Carnitas Tacos with Jalapeno Lime Slaw
If you are a citrus fan like me, you are sure to love this Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Goat Cheese.
Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cara cara oranges
- 3 blood oranges
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup pistachios (shelled and roughly chopped)
- 2 oz goat cheese (crumbled)
- fennel fronds for garnish (see note for substitution)
Citrus Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- orange juice reserved from cutting oranges (about 2 tbs)
- 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and slice oranges into rounds about ¼ inch thick (see note for how to slice), reserving any juice that collects on the cutting board and squeezing excess juice from peel slices in to a small bowl.
- Arrange orange slices on a large platter, layering a mixture of each orange type.
- In a small bowl, mix reserved juice from the oranges along with other vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- Thinly slice avocado and layer it with the oranges. Top with pistachios and goat cheese.
- Drizzle dressing on top (you may not need quite all of the dressing), and garnish with fennel fronds or herbs.
Notes
Use a sharp knife to first cut off the top stem end of the orange. You want to cut about a quarter to a half of an inch in (depending on the size of your orange). Next, trim the opposite end, giving you two flat ends. Turn the orange so it is standing on one of the flat ends, then make a slice down and around the orange, following the curve of the orange. The idea is that you should remove the white pith and peel, revealing the inside flesh of the orange, without too much waste. Rotate the orange, and make another similar vertical slice next to the first. Continue around the orange until all of the peel and white pith is removed. After all of the peel is removed, slice each orange along the equator in about ¼ inch thick slices. I like to use a serrated knife for this, as I find it easier, but if your butchers’ knife is nice and sharp, it should work for this as well. If you Don’t Have Fennel Fronds:
I happened to have fresh fennel fronds laying around from another recipe I had made. But if you don’t have fennel fronds, you can easily substitute roughly chopped or torn fresh basil, dill, or even cilantro leaves for the fennel fronds.