Every Sunday at the height of citrus season I come home from the farmers market with 10+ pounds of Cara Caras, blood oranges and Sumos, and this Pomegranate Citrus Salad is how I put the haul to work: six kinds of citrus and ripe avocado fanned out with jewel-like pomegranate seeds, all dressed in a bright lemon and red wine vinaigrette. It is my favorite Mediterranean-style side dish for the cold months, when citrus is at its sweetest and everything else feels heavy. Serve it next to a Winter Greens Salad with Pecorino Dressing for a two-salad table, drizzle it with my Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette if you want it a touch sweeter, and pour a Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria to keep the citrus theme going.
Pomegranate Citrus Salad at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 6 to 8 as a side
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Mediterranean
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright, juicy, and a little savory, with sweet-tart citrus, creamy avocado and a tangy lemon vinaigrette
- 📖 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian
- 📦 Storage Notes: Best assembled fresh; store segmented citrus and vinaigrette separately up to 1 day, then add avocado and pomegranate seeds just before serving
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: It is the prettiest, most refreshing side on a winter table, loaded with six kinds of citrus at their peak. The lemon and red wine vinaigrette keeps it bright and just savory enough to serve next to roasts and richer mains. It comes together in 20 minutes with no cooking, and it makes the most of a farmers market citrus haul.
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The amount of citrus coming out of my kitchen (thanks to my weekly farmers market trips) is truly outrageous. I can't be stopped - so if you're anything like me, this Pomegranate Citrus Salad is the perfect recipe to use up all that fresh fruit!
When the height of citrus season rolls around, there's no messing around here. I am at the farmers market every Sunday morning when it opens to hoard all sorts of citrus! Cara Cara oranges, Sumos, Kishus, Blood Oranges, Satsumas, you name it. I can't get enough.
Without fail, I end up coming home with 10+ pounds of citrus on a weekly basis! You could just eat all those delicious fruits plain, but you could also turn them into a Citrus Salad that will rock your world!
Substitutions & Swaps
🍊 The Citrus
- Cara Cara oranges - Pink-fleshed and low-acid, the sweetest workhorse in the bowl
- Blood oranges - Deep crimson with a berry note; pure drama on the plate
- Grapefruit - Brings the tart edge that keeps the salad from being one-note sweet
- Mandarins or tangerines - Easy, candy-sweet, and quick to segment
- Sumo or Kishu - Splurge varieties when you see them; intensely sweet and seedless
🥑 The Creamy Element
- Avocado - The default; buttery richness against all that acid
- Burrata - Tear it over the top for a more indulgent, dinner-party version (adds dairy)
- Ricotta salata - Shaved over for a salty, firm contrast (adds dairy)
- Goat cheese - Crumbled for tang; a classic citrus partner (adds dairy)
🌰 Crunch & Texture
- Pomegranate seeds - The default; little bursts of tart-sweet juice and color
- Toasted pistachios - Green, buttery, and very Mediterranean
- Marcona almonds - Rich and salty; chop them so they cling
- Pepitas - Toasted pumpkin seeds for a nut-free crunch
🌿 Herbs & Add-Ins
- Fresh mint - The brightest herb match for citrus; tear it at the end
- Shaved fennel - Anise crunch that loves orange and grapefruit
- Thinly sliced shallot - A little sharp bite; soak in the vinaigrette to mellow
- Basil - Surprising and lovely with sweeter citrus
🥗 The Vinaigrette
- Lemon and red wine vinegar - The base here; sharp and clean against sweet fruit
- Champagne vinegar - Softer and more delicate if red wine vinegar feels too sharp
- Orange muscat champagne vinaigrette - For a sweeter, more floral dressing
- Citrus and honey - Whisk a little honey in to round out very tart grapefruit
🍊🥑🌿 Tips & Tricks for the Best Pomegranate Citrus Salad
A citrus salad lives or dies on how you cut the fruit and when you dress it.
- Supreme the citrus. Cut away all the peel and white pith so you get clean, juicy segments with no bitterness.
- Work over a bowl. Catch the juice as you segment and whisk it straight into the vinaigrette.
- Use a mix of varieties. Sweet, tart and blood oranges give color and balance; one type of citrus is boring.
- Salt the fruit lightly. A pinch of flaky salt makes citrus taste more like itself, not less.
- Slice the avocado last. It browns fastest, so add it right before the salad hits the table.
- Drain before plating. Cut citrus weeps; pour off the excess juice so the salad is not watery.
- Dress it lightly. The fruit is already juicy, so too much vinaigrette just drowns it.
- Add pomegranate at the very end. Scatter the seeds on top so they stay jewel-like and do not bleed pink into everything.
- Serve it cold. Chill the fruit first; a cold citrus salad is far more refreshing than a room-temp one.
- Layer, do not toss. Arrange the segments and avocado so it reads as composed, not mixed into mush.
This recipe is loaded with 6 kinds of citrus, a few avocados and some pomegranate seeds to give it some flare. Add to that a lemon red wine vinaigrette and you won't make any other salad until citrus season is over!
Pomegranate Citrus Salad FAQs
What is a pomegranate citrus salad?
A pomegranate citrus salad is a bright winter salad of peeled, sliced citrus (like oranges, blood oranges and grapefruit) layered with avocado and pomegranate seeds, then dressed in a light vinaigrette. It is a Mediterranean-style composed salad that leans fresh and a little savory rather than sweet. It shines in winter when citrus is at peak season.
What kind of citrus is best for a citrus salad?
Use a mix of varieties for color and flavor contrast: Cara Cara and navel oranges for sweetness, blood oranges for drama, grapefruit for tartness, and mandarins or tangerines for easy sweetness. Choose fruit that feels heavy for its size, which means it is juicy. Supreming the segments (cutting away all peel and membrane) gives the cleanest, prettiest salad.
How do you keep cut avocado and citrus from browning?
The acid in the citrus and the lemon vinaigrette naturally slows avocado browning, so dress the salad as you assemble it. Slice the avocado last and right before serving. If you need to prep ahead, store the segmented citrus and dressing separately and add the avocado at the table.
Can I make citrus salad ahead of time?
You can segment the citrus and whisk the vinaigrette up to a day ahead and keep them refrigerated separately. Assemble with the avocado and pomegranate seeds just before serving so nothing goes soft or weepy. Citrus releases a lot of juice once cut, so drain it before plating to avoid a watery salad.
What do you serve with a citrus salad?
It is a versatile side for richer winter mains like roast chicken, salmon or holiday roasts, where its acidity cuts through the fat. It also rounds out a brunch spread or a two-salad table. For more dressing options, see the Substitutions section.
Even MORE Citrus Recipes:
- Leafy Green Salad
- Farmers Market Salad
- Fish Tacos
- Citrus Sheed Cake
- Candied Citrus Cake
- Skinny Citrus Margarita
Pomegranate Citrus Salad
Ingredients
- 2 naval oranges
- 2 cara cara oranges
- 2 pink grapefruits
- 2 tangerines
- 3 mandarin oranges
- 2 blood oranges
- 2 avocados, cut into wedges
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the Citrus Vinaigrette
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Carefully slice the peel off the citrus. Cut the citrus into slices and carefully pop out any seeds. Arrange the citrus and avocados on a platter and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve the vinaigrette drizzled on top of the salad and serve immediately
Made this last night on the fly for 2 so I used one of each fruit instead of two. I did make the dressing as written.... because dressing always right ? Absolutely a fabulous pairing with a meal to add another wonderful fresh flavor profile. Plus it’s colorful and fun. Get it !
Just loving an excuse to use more citrus! The pomegranate seeds and the genius of the avocado slices, make this gorgeous, on top of being delicious. Can't wait for this one!