Orange & Avocado Salad

A simple but sumptuous salad, a living combination of bright, sweet orange and soft, creamy avocado, bound with a lime vinaigrette spiked with a tiny touch of hot sauce.

Whole Food, Fresh & Seasonal. A Mid-Winter Classic. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

Creatures of Habit, Starved for Salads

It's no longer a shock: we're weeks into the New Year so by now it's only surprise, not shock, that a minute ago it was January and whoosh, this week it's already mid February.

But what hasn't changed during these last weeks is an unrepentant hunger, a starvation born in the first world: one for freshness, for greens, for crunch, for salads. In my kitchen, a couple of onions are sprouting, their leaves reaching out from under-counter wicker darkness remind that fresh vegetables are, indeed, living things.

Each night, one of us crafts a salad to open or close the evening meal. We tend to take turns and our rhythms are different. He builds in his mind, then composes; the next time he begins anew. Me, I start with one something that inspires (here, beautiful oranges gifted by dear friends) and then choose contrasts in texture, in acidity, in color; the next time, I repeat the same combination, tweaking this and experimenting with that.

What's In My Orange & Avocado Salad?

In all my recipes and most well-written recipes, every ingredient serves a purpose. Each one matters. Each one contributes to the overall dish. It's not that an ingredient can't be substituted by something else but when choosing the substitute, it's important to understand why the original ingredient was present in the first place.

• Oranges You'll want an orange that tastes good. A blood orange would work well, so would a grapefruit, just be sure it doesn't interfere with anyone's medications as grapefruit is wont to do.


• Avocados You might have one leftover from the Superbowl, this is a perfect way to use it up. If not, choose one that's ripe but not too soft.


• Something Green This was one of my tweaks, adding something green to the salad, it somehow feels unfinished without something slightly bitter to contrast with the sour citrus and creamy avocado.


• Lime Vinaigrette My vinaigrettes tend to be slightly sharp. Taste the vinaigrette before adding the avocado and orange. To meet your taste, it might need a little more oil, a little more honey, a little more lime.


• Hot Sauce! What makes this a savory salad, not a sweet salad, is the hot sauce. That little kick of heat, not much mind you, makes this salad what it is.

What Makes This Recipe Special

• Sheer simplicity yet somehow rich and sumptuous
• Easily scales from a salad for one to a bounteous platter for many
• Beautiful color, especially for mid-winter

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ORANGE & AVOCADO SALAD

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time-to-table: 20 minutes
Serves 4 as a side or two salad-starved adults

LIME VINAIGRETTE
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Frank's Original Hot Sauce or another hot sauce to taste
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

SALAD
• 2 large juicy oranges
• 1 ripe but not soft avocado, cubed
• Chopped green something (fresh spinach or arugula or parsley or ...)
• Pomegranate seeds, for garnish, optional but lovely texture and color contrast

LIME VINAIGRETTE In a bowl large enough to stir and hold the entire salad, whisk the lime juice, vinegar, honey and hot sauce, then whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

SALAD Slice the skins off the oranges (here's how, if need be, How to Cut the Skin Off an Orange for Slices). Separate the sections, then cut each section into bite-size pieces, maybe halves or maybe thirds. Add the "green something" and stir gently to combine.

SERVE Arrange in the bowl, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and ... devour.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS This salad is best made right before serving.

LEFTOVERS are not inedible but won't be as pretty and the flavors will muddle rather than remain distinct.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2021/02/orange-avocado-salad.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 144 Calories; 9g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium; 17g Carb; 4g Fiber; 11g Sugar; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 3 & PointsPlus 4 & SmartPoints 6 & Freestyle 4 & myWW green 4 & blue 4 & purple 4 & future WW points

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Seasonal Cooking: Mid February Across the Years

Homemade Lentil Soup Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole Trio of Vegetables with Sour Cream On-the-Run Breakfast Bars Black Walnut Bread One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole) (<< personal favorite) Chimichurri Gumbo Hamburger Casserole Raspberry & Red Wine Granita Chocolate Shortbread Cookies How to Cook White Rice

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More Mid-Winter Salads Full of Freshness

more
~ salad recipes ~
~ vegetable salads ~

• THE RECIPE Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans A big green salad with a rainbow of fruit.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing The traditional spinach salad with bacon, hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms.

• THE RECIPE Roasted Pear Salad Romance and seduction on a plate.
• ANOTHER TAKE Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro An unusual fruit salad, savory and sweet at the same time.

• THE RECIPE Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette
• ANOTHER TAKE Big Cajun Chopped Salad

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More Orange Recipes for Your Enjoyment

more
~ orange recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Sunshine Orange Muffins From the Canadian favorite, The Best of Bridge.
• ANOTHER TAKE Orange Julius Drinks With extra protein, no refined sugar.

• THE RECIPE Savory Orange Slices A simple and surprising orange salad.
• ANOTHER TAKE Citrus Slices with Orange Flower Water, Spices & Chocolate Shavings A simple summer dessert.

• THE RECIPE Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette Bright and vibrant with earthy spice.
• ANOTHER TAKE Apple Cider Vinaigrette Sweet with cider and cinnamon, no oil!

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ orange recipes ~
~ avocado recipes ~
~ lime recipes ~
~ pomegranate recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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