Juicy citrus is paired with creamy avocado, spicy arugula and toasted pine nuts to create this simple, show-stopping salad.
After a glorious week without winter boots and jackets during our San Francisco vacation, returning home to record low temperatures and below freezing wind chills was a bit brutal. To help ease the blow, I decided to transport our tastebuds back to California with this Avocado Citrus Salad with Arugula and Toasted Pine Nuts.
One of the many reasons I live to travel is the inspiration I bring back to the kitchen from the local foods and ingredients I discover throughout my trip. Case in point: my Aunt Sabrina has been telling me about Berkeley Bowl, a local grocery store, for years.
Literally, within moments of stepping foot inside the produce section, I immediately understood why. Let’s just say the produce sections in California are a far cry from what we have in West Michigan. I’ve never seen so many beautiful varieties of citrus fruits in my life.
Speaking of citrus, February is National Grapefruit Month which thrills me to no end. Not only is grapefruit sweet, juicy and naturally low calorie but it’s also packed with vitamins and nutrients. Whole fruit is my preferred source of juice because you get the fiber and other nutrients that typically go to waste with processed fruit juices.
For even more California sunshine, I added bright pummelos and minneola tangelos to this colorful salad. Just 1/4 of a pummelo gives you 100% of your daily Vitamin C requirement – music to this mom-of-toddler’s ears! To balance the spicy arugula I added creamy avocado and toasted pine nuts as a finishing touch.
Have you created any meals recently inspired from your travels? I’d love to hear your stories and recipes.
Your fork is waiting.
Avocado Citrus Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 Sunkist pink grapefruit segmented
- 1 Sunkist minneola segmented
- 1 Sunkist pummelo segmented
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 juice of Sunkist lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Spread arugula out on a big platter and top with citrus segments, avocado slices and red onion slices.
- Drizzle platter with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss lightly before serving.
Looks so yummy and nutritious!!!! Will try it.
I hope you love it!
I just bought a whole bunch of avocados and am looking to use them. This looks like the perfect solution!
YES!! Perfect for that!
I think we’re finally settled into the 50s here… but when I was out in Louisiana, I just loved how we could sit outside and eat a leisurely lunch.
I’m often making a big salad like this and then loading it with grilled salmon or another protein. If only summer were here and we could eat this outside, right?
Ok your comment is literally making me drool!! I’m so over this never ending rainy April and ready for warm breezes!! Soon, right?
This salad looks so fresh and delicious! :) Love the creamy avo and tart citrus :)
Thank you so much Medha!!
Mmmm! I love salads with citrus in them.
Me too Valerie!
I want to travel to Cali on the citrus salad train! This sounds so good…exactly what I’m craving as it’s snowing cats and dogs outside!
Yes!! Choo Choo!! The citrus train is taking off!
This salad is just too pretty! I love the bright citrus paired with peppery arugula and creamy avocado, delicious!
What a luscious salad. It looks gorgeous, but more importantly I am taken with the flavors you put together. I had to pin this baby.
I’m so glad you love this salad!
Your gorgeous salad reminds me of my husband’s grandmother. This was her favorite salad, only she drenched hers in Thousand Island dressing: )
hahaha oh good old Thousand Island…
I love grapefruit in salads and it pairs so well with avocado. It’s also my fave cocktail addition :) Love everything about this, Liz :))
Thank you so much!!
You always have the best salads! Never boring!
You’re so sweet Nicole – Thank you!
OMG IN LOVE with this salad! The citrus with my FAVORITE- Arugula and toasted pine nuts, YUM!
All of the best flavors right?
Wonderful salad and so fresh.
Thanks so much Peter!
I’m so over the ridiculous wind chill right now. Didn’t know it was grapefruit month! I’ve been eating more grapefruit lately for breakfast. Great way to start the day. I do get inspired by my travels. This past summer, I went to Mt. Rushmore then posted about my trip and a raspberry jalapeno jam that was inspired by pie we ate out there. I know totally random but it brings back memories!
Oh my goodness that pie sounds amazing Carla!!
Hey I’m willing to try this!! It sounds interesting!!
I hope you love it!
I love the Berkeley Bowl! I could spend hours in their bulk bins! And yes, oh the citrus! It grows wild out there, and I used to just pick oranges off my trees and squeeze into champagne on Sundays. Why did I ever move again?
I didn’t know you lived there!! So jealous!
Drooling! I love citrus on my salad in and in my vinaigrette! And the avocado pushes it over the top!!
Thank you my sweet friend!!
Thanks for sharing this bright and summery recipe! We are buried in snow in the northeast, and summer salads are a welcomed change!
Tell me about it!! I need any brightness I can get!! :)
This is really beautiful and has me dreaming of summer!!
I am dreaming of summer too Liz!!!
Grapefruit is one of my absolute favorite fruits–the avocado is a great addition! I <3 citrus!
Thank you so much Julia!! Hope you’re staying warm!
I’ve been doing the same thing this winter. Bright salads for the win!
YES! We need fresh flavors!