Add a palate-cleansing pop of color and refreshing flavor to your next meal with a quick and easy recipe for Citrus Salad with Honey Dressing. With three types of citrus, zippy slices of red onion and a zingy, slightly sweet honey dressing, this winter citrus salad ticks all of my boxes for a light holiday side (it’s a staple on my Thanksgiving and Christmas tables!).
Table of Contents
Winter screams “Citrus all the things!” And this show-stopping dish is guaranteed to impress, thanks to the presentation. It’s a welcome addition to any dinner really, as a refreshing counterpart to Glazed Honey Soy Chicken Thighs, Apple and Sage Roast Chicken or Baked Salmon with Honey-Garlic Glaze
Peeling the citrus is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but it’s important to remove as much of the white pith as possible to steer clear of any bitterness. I’ve opted for a trio of oranges, blood oranges, and grapefruits to maximize on color and complementary flavors. A few thin slices of red onion add bite while pomegranate arils add a burst of juicy flavor and textural contrast to the plate.
And to finish off your rainbow of flavor? A quick-fix honey dressing to balance out the sweet with the sour. This is a simple citrus salad that’s fast enough for weeknight meals but dressed up enough for weekend brunches or dinner parties. And just like your go-to little black dress, it can be as casual or as fancy as your heart desires!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s ready in just 15 minutes.
- It’s sweet, tangy and healthy—making it a standout side.
- It looks super impressive, thanks to the colorful citrus and pomegranate.
- It feeds a crowd.
- Olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey: These three ingredients make up the citrus salad’s super-easy dressing. Instead of honey, you could use maple syrup.
- Oranges, blood oranges and grapefruits: This trio of citrus makes the salad a stunner. You could use another type of orange in place of the blood oranges (like Cara Cara) if you can’t find them.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion is a nice counterpart to the sweet citrus and dressing.
- Arugula: Arugula’s peppery bite also pairs nicely with this salad’s sweet ingredients.
- Pomegranate seeds: For texture (crunch!) and an additional pop of flavor and color, I love to top this salad with pomegranate seeds.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Try another dressing. Instead of the honey dressing, you could try my honey-lime dressing, poppyseed dressing or basil vinaigrette.
- Use a different green. Arugula’s slight spiciness works really nicely here, but you could swap in another leafy green like baby spinach.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Layer the salad. On a large serving platter, spread out the arugula. On top of the greens, layer the orange, blood orange and grapefruit slices. Top with the red onion.
- Dress and top. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette, top with the pomegranate seeds and serve.
Pro Tip: You can peel and slice the citrus one day ahead, storing in the fridge in an airtight container (or on a covered plate). You’ll want to store the blood orange seperately, though, to maintain the color of the other citrus.
- Get Rid of the Pith: Remove as much of the white pith from around the citrus fruits as possible in order to avoid any bitter taste. A paring knife is helpful for this.
- For the Pomegranate: Pomegranate seeds can be tricky! While you can absolutely buy packaged seeds, it’s easy enough to remove seeds from pomegranate. To do so, slice the pomegranate in half. Then, submerging one half in a bowl of water, use your hands to peel back the pith of the pomegranate and remove the seeds. The seeds will sink, making them easy to fish out of the bowl—and the water prevents pomegranate juice from splattering everywhere!
- A Tip for Raw Onion: If you’re not a fan of raw onion, soak the red onion slices in cold water for 15 minutes, then remove and drain. This will remove their bite.
This salad is best eaten right away or things will get soggy. However, you can make the salad dressing up to three days ahead, storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
To prep citrus for salad, you’ll first want to remove the skin (by peeling or slicing). Then, you’ll want to make sure all of the fruit’s pith is removed. The pith is white and tastes bitter. After the pith is gone, the citrus can be sliced into rounds.
My favorite way to do this is with a paring knife. First, slice off the bulbous bottom and top of the orange. Then, use a sharp paring knife to cut off the skin (and pith) of the orange, following the curve of the fruit.
You can use any honey for salad dressing—as long as it’s runny honey (which will make it easier to measure and mix).
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 3 medium blood oranges, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 2 medium pink grapefruits, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin rounds
- 2 cups lightly packed arugula
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey. Taste and season the dressing with salt and pepper.
- On a large platter, layer the sliced oranges, grapefruit, red onions and arugula.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette on top then garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes
- Remove as much of the white pith from around the citrus fruits as possible in order to avoid any bitter taste. A paring knife is helpful for this.
- Pomegranate seeds can be tricky! While you can absolutely buy packaged seeds, it’s easy enough to remove seeds from pomegranate. To do so, slice the pomegranate in half. Then, submerging one half in a bowl of water, use your hands to peel back the pith of the pomegranate and remove the seeds. The seeds will sink, making them easy to fish out of the bowl—and the water prevents pomegranate juice from splattering everywhere!
- If you’re not a fan of raw onion, soak the red onion slices in cold water for 15 minutes, then remove and drain. This will remove their bite.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Delicious!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Zoë!
excellent salad to serve with heart pork stew and roasted baby potatoes
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara!
Beautiful presentation, easy to make. I followed the recipe closely but the vinaigrette didn’t turn out as I expected. My husband came to the rescue and added more honey, a bit of sugar, and more salt and pepper. Other than that, we enjoyed the freshness and uniqueness of the dish.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Great recipe! I add sliced nicoise olives for a little saltiness and meatiness.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, James!
I’ve been eating this for lunch all week, it’s so refreshing and flavorful. I’m hooked!
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Becky!