Sesame Free Avocado Citrus Salad with Basil-Herb Dressing
Bright, creamy, and bursting with citrus, this salad is the kind of dish that makes you feel like you're eating at a sun-drenched café. Sliced avocado, fresh orange segments, and ruby-pink grapefruit are layered over tender mixed greens and finished with a vivid basil-herb dressing that you blend together in minutes. The dressing itself is a standout — two full cups of fresh basil blended with parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil create something herbaceous and silky that you'll want to put on everything. For anyone navigating sesame concerns, this recipe is naturally free of the ingredient from top to bottom, with no tahini, no sesame oil, and no hidden seed-based additions to second-guess. Many store-bought dressings and even restaurant salads sneak in sesame oil for depth of flavor, so making your own here is both a practical and delicious solution. The red onion adds a gentle bite that plays beautifully against the sweet citrus, and a final pinch of flaky sea salt ties the whole bowl together. Serve it immediately after dressing so the greens stay perky and the avocado stays gorgeous.
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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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