This Winter Citrus Salad recipe is fresh and lively with pomegranate arils and a variety of seasonal oranges, over peppery arugula. It’s finished with a sprinkling of crunchy, salty chopped pistachios and a bright and tangy citrus vinaigrette. Serve this sunshine-y salad with all the cozy winter meals, for a pop of refreshing contrast!
Whenever wintertime meals are needing a perky little pick-me-up, I turn to this fresh and bright Winter Citrus Salad. People around the table are always drawn to it, hungry for its color and juicy slices of oranges. It’s a celebration of one of the winter season’s finest, most delicious offerings! (Another salad that makes a lot of people happy this time of year is my Winter Apple Salad – do check it out!)
Why This Citrus Salad Recipe Belongs on your Wintertime Table
When our daughters were young, I remember picking up a fun mix of different orange varieties and then setting a platter of fresh slices on the table at supper time. There were blood oranges, navel oranges, and Cara Cara oranges, plus a couple smaller kinds like Mandarins. Our girls’ eyes lit up. I definitely had their attention! It was SO FUN to not only see the rainbow of varying colors, but also to taste each one’s distinct flavor. That little experiment resulted in this citrus salad. Here’s why we love it:
- Seasonal perfection: I always aim to eat produce that’s freshest in the moment. For example, in springtime, I’m getting my fill of rhubarb. So in wintertime, citrus is one of my go-to’s. Oranges shine bright in this recipe.
- Fresh contrast: Winter is known for heavier mains and sides, especially here in the Midwest – we’re just trying to stay warm and cozy! So a fresh salad, light and bright with color and flavor, is always welcome on our table.
- Customizable: I challenge you to check out some new-to-you citrus varieties to make this recipe your own best citrus salad. I also offer some variation ideas under the section “Ingredient Swaps”.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
As you can see, this recipe is built on fresh ingredients. Here are the ingredients to make my citrus salad. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Oranges – Use whatever you like best. We use my family’s top two favorite varieties:
- Cara Cara oranges (upper left in photo above) are juicy, with a super lovely flavor and orangey-pink color – the favorite variety in our family. They have become easier and easier to find as years go by, yay! If you’re curious to know more about this beauty, here’s a good article that answers What Are Cara Cara Oranges?
- Navel oranges (bottom right in photo above) have been very available for as long as I can remember. And they’ve remained popular for a reason – they’re sweet and juicy, with a fun bit of bright tang.
- Arugula – This sturdy variety of greens has a peppery note, which I love. I look for baby arugula, as it’s easier to eat. Again, you can use whatever you like – although I do have some recommendations, which I’ve noted in the next section.
- Salt & pepper – Simple seasonings are all this salad needs.
- Red onion – I always appreciate a fresh salad that includes some thin slices of red onion. Not a lot. Just enough to grab my attention with every other bite. I also like the purple-y color it adds.
- Pomegranate arils – My family adores pomegranate seeds, so I try to pop them into our menu here and there during their short season of winter abundance. They add gorgeous flavor, color, and texture. (If you like guac, make my Holiday Guacamole with pomegranate – it’s a favorite this time of year!)
- Pistachios – Look for pistachios that are roasted and salted, for the best flavor and crunch. I LOVE nuts on salads. Two great examples are pecans on my Holiday Wild Rice Salad and Fall Harvest Salad with butternut squash.
- Citrus vinaigrette – An easy homemade salad dressing that’s bright with citrus flavor brings this salad full-circle. Here’s my Citrus Vinaigrette recipe – I just know you’ll love it!
Ingredient Swaps
I have a few ideas/recommendations for you, if you’re looking for some ingredient swaps:
- Use your favorite oranges. You will enjoy this salad more if you use your own personal favorite varieties. Sometimes I add in blood oranges – their ruby color is magnificent. Mandarins, clementines, and tangerines are also delicious.
- Swap out the greens. My second choice, after baby arugula, is baby spinach. It’s still sturdy, yet a bit more tender in both texture and flavor.
- Add a different onion. Easy swaps are yellow or white onions, although these do not add the same pretty color that red ones do. You sprinkle some sliced green onion or chives over the top. Or skip onion altogether.
- Don’t have pomegranate? My next choice would be to add quartered or halved red grapes.
- Prefer other nuts? Then try roasted and salted pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Leave them whole or chop them.
- Use a different salad dressing. While I highly recommend sticking with my citrus vinaigrette, a couple other good choices would be my Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing, or my grandma’s fresh Ginger Dressing.
How To Make This Citrus Salad
- Make the Citrus Vinaigrette. Place all the ingredients for the Citrus Vinaigrette in a jar and shake to combine. Set aside.
- Slice the oranges. Cut the outer peel off the oranges and then slice into rounds.
- Create the salad. Layer the salad ingredients in a serving bowl and dress with the citrus vinaigrette.
Brenda’s Tips
- Use only the freshest ingredients. It should go without saying, in a recipe such as this one that relies on so many fresh ingredients – but it’s a top priority that I need to stress. So, for example, if I go to the store today because I want to make this salad tomorrow, and the arugula is limp and sad-looking… I will absolutely look for my next best option for greens (spinach).
- Use a serrated knife. When cutting off the orange rind and slicing the juicy flesh into rounds, I find it super helpful to use a serrated knife. A thicker bread knife or thinner tomato knife both do the trick.
- How to cut off the orange rind. Cut off the two ends of the orange. Place one of the flat cut edges onto the cutting board. Start slicing down the sides.
- And make sure to remove all the pith! When cutting away the outside orange rind, make sure to remove all the white pith, as this has a bitter flavor.
- Do include some salt & pepper. If you haven’t been adding a sprinkle of S&P to your fresh salads, give it a try. This always adds some flavor that both contrasts and enhances.
- Prep in advance. I appreciate anything I can prep in advance, especially when I’m entertaining. So go ahead and make the vinaigrette the day before – just refrigerate in a covered container. And be sure to remove it from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you want to use it, to let the oil come to room temperature so you can shake it all together again. Other things you can do in advance is slice the oranges and onion, and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Chop the nuts and store in a covered container in a cool, dry place.
What To Serve With Citrus Salad
With brunch: I love a good brunching salad. Serve this alongside my Cottage Cheese Egg Bake or Overnight Egg Bake, plus my family’s favorite Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole.
For a holiday meal: Serve this salad with Crockpot Ham and Orange-Brown Sugar Ham Glaze. A match made in citrus heaven!
With soup: Pair this salad with most any of my soup recipes for a cozy-meets-fresh soup & salad meal. Some top picks would be Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Savory Squash Soup, or Chicken Ginger Soup.
And, of course, with some bread: I always appreciate having some kind of soft bread, so I can swipe up all the goodness of a salad. Try homemade Rhodes Rolls or some steaming Popovers.
Even More Winter Salads
I’ve already peppered this post with other wintertime salad recipes – and here are a few more for you!
Citrus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Citrus Vinaigrette
- 2 each Cara Cara oranges
- 2 each navel oranges
- 4 ounces baby arugula (roughly 8-10 cups loosely packed)
- kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup fresh pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup chopped roasted, salted pistachios
Instructions
- Shake up the Citrus Vinaigrette. Set aside. See Notes below.
- Prepare the citrus by first cutting off the ends of each orange. Stand an orange on its cut end and use a sharp serrated knife (I use a tomato knife) to cut off the peel and any white pith, following the curved shape of the fruit. Lay the orange on its side and slice crosswise into ¼"-thick rounds. Repeat with remaining oranges. Set aside.
- Place arugula in a low, wide salad bowl or on a platter. Drizzle a little bit of prepared Citrus Vinaigrette over the arugula and use a tongs to gently toss and coat the greens evenly. Only add as much vinaigrette as needed to give the greens a light, even, glossy coating.
- Sprinkle dressed greens lightly with salt and pepper. Then add red onion slices, pomegranate arils, and chopped pistachios.
- Tuck the orange rounds into the salad, grouping the rounds into 3-4 slices each.
- Serve right away, with remaining Citrus Vinaigrette on the side, for individuals to add as they like.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post and recipe were first published in 2016, then both were updated in 2025.
Love the colorful salad, and the orange poppy seed dressing sounds
yummy.
Those oranges just put me over the edge!
i don’t have an immersion blender, will a regular blender, hand mixer or whisk work? also, for those who don’t love arugula can another green be substituted or added? thanks
Hi Kim! If you can whisk vigorously enough, you could get this to emulsify – just get the onion as finely minced as you can. I just find that the immersion blender does it so well – it helps to smooth out the bits of onion, which also helps to thicken the dressing. I haven’t tried a regular blender, but definitely think it’s worth a shot.
This looks absolutely wonderful! I was wondering how many poppy seeds to add to the dressing. Is it more of a personal preference? About how much did you use? I am not a cook by nature so I follow recipes religiously. :) Thanks!
So sorry about that omission, Janae. I just updated the recipe. Thank you so much!
I love Cara Cara oranges, too, and blood oranges are always a gorgeous addition! What a lovely salad to brighten up a dreary winter’s day!
Thank you so much, Liz. If only we could enjoy these beautiful oranges all year ’round!
One of my goals this year is to get back to reading and commenting on the blogs I follow. Though I do read and enjoy your newsletters when they arrive in my inbox, I did not visit much here over the past year. So…I’m baaack :)
How refreshing does this citrus salad look! A surefire way to chase away any blues that the dead of winter can bring on.
Paula! How lovely to hear from you again!!!! Here’s to 2016!
I have been eying this gorgeous salad since you posted it. It’s a beauty! I love citrus season so much!
Thanks a bunch, Aggie! Hope you’re having a most lovely weekend!
Simply stunning! Love all the citrus!
Thank you, Tieghan. Happy Weekend to you!
I love everything about this salad!
Thank you, Julie! :)