Nitrate & Nitrite Free Avocado Citrus Salad with Basil-Herb Dressing
This salad is a bright, gorgeous bowl that practically glows with color — creamy avocado, jewel-toned citrus segments, and a vivid green herb dressing that tastes as fresh as it looks. The basil-herb dressing is blended from scratch using fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, so every drop is clean and made entirely from whole ingredients you can see and name. That matters a lot when you're avoiding processed preservatives, since bottled dressings are one of the sneakiest places hidden additives tend to show up. Here, there's nothing to second-guess. The citrus — sweet navel oranges and slightly bitter grapefruit — is segmented fresh, which adds a juicy brightness that plays beautifully against the richness of ripe avocado. A scatter of thinly sliced red onion gives it a little sharpness, and a final pinch of flaky sea salt ties everything together. It's the kind of salad that works as a light lunch on its own or as a stunning starter that makes the whole table lean in.
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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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