Artificial Food Coloring Free Avocado Citrus Salad with Basil-Herb Dressing
This vibrant salad is a celebration of real, whole ingredients — creamy avocado, juicy citrus segments, and peppery greens all brought together by a blender dressing that's genuinely stunning in both color and flavor. The basil-herb dressing is made entirely from scratch with fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, so you know exactly what's going into every drop. No dye-laden bottled dressings, no mystery additives — just a bright, herbaceous pour that gets its gorgeous green hue from actual herbs. That's a big deal when so many store-bought dressings rely on artificial coloring to look appealing. The combination of navel orange and grapefruit segments adds natural sweetness and a little bitter edge that plays beautifully against the richness of the avocado. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the end pulls everything into focus. It's the kind of salad that looks impressive enough for company but comes together with minimal effort and zero compromise on what's in it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the basil-herb dressing
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
For the salad
- 5 oz mixed tender greens (such as arugula, spinach, or butter lettuce)
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and sliced
- 2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- flaky sea salt, to taste
For serving
- fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the dressing: combine the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and ground ginger in a blender or food processor. Pulse 4–5 times until the herbs are roughly chopped. With the motor running on low, stream in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and bright green, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- 2
Segment the citrus: working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut away the peel and white pith from the oranges and grapefruit. Slice between the membranes to release each segment. Discard the membranes.
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