BHA & BHT Free Avocado Citrus Salad with Basil-Herb Dressing
Bright, creamy, and bursting with citrus, this salad is the kind of dish that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together with nothing more than fresh produce and a quick spin of the blender. Sliced avocado, juicy orange and grapefruit segments, and tender mixed greens create a combination that's both satisfying and genuinely beautiful on the plate. The real star is the basil-herb dressing — a vivid, garlicky blend of fresh basil, parsley, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil that turns a simple salad into something you'll want to make on repeat. Avoiding BHA and BHT means steering clear of many bottled dressings and pre-packaged salad kits, which routinely use these synthetic preservatives to extend shelf life. Here, every component is whole and unprocessed — fresh herbs, hand-segmented citrus, ripe avocados — so you know exactly what's going into the bowl. The homemade dressing takes about a minute to blend and keeps things completely clean without sacrificing any flavor. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the end pulls everything together and makes each bite feel a little luxurious. Serve it immediately so the avocado stays vibrant and the greens hold their delicate texture.
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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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