The Best Easy Recipe for Citrus Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (So Good!)

This simple recipe for Fresh Citrus Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is great served any time of day – from Healthy Breakfasts to the perfect side dish at dinner. Take advantages of peak season for citrus during the winter months and add this delicious salad to your meal plans.

Creating this Simple Fresh Citrus Salad Recipe

I thoroughly enjoyed myself during the holidays. I enjoyed spending time with family and friends, gathering around a warm fire, making and sharing gifts, and eating a lot of good food.

But now that I’ve entered the new year, I’m remembering all of the past week’s indulgences. If I’m being honest, I have to admit to eating way too many of these Cranberry Bars and more than my fair share of Christmas Candy.

It’s time to get back on track and I’m looking forward to preparing and enjoying a lot of healthy meals and fresh salads this year. Right now, my post-holiday palette is craving dishes that are fresh and light, like this winter citrus salad.

It can be tricky preparing fresh and light dishes during the colder months of winter when quality fruits and vegetables are harder to come by. However, citrus is winter’s special burst of brightness during the cold months’ dark days.

Related: Need more winter produce inspiration? Check out my Winter Produce Guide with 100+ recipes using in season produce.

What I Love About this Healthy Fresh Citrus Salad

Fresh citrus fruits have so many health benefits. Here are a few of the ways Oranges, Grapefruits, and Lemons contribute to a healthy diet and lifestyle:

• Eating citrus is the perfect way to get Vitamin C in your diet. It supports your immune system.
• Citrus fruits also contain Potassium, and even Calcium
• Detoxify the liver
• Help to lower blood pressure
• Stimulate metabolism and aid in weight loss

Considering all of the health benefits that come from eating citrus fruits, I am feeling really good about adding this Citrus Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing to my breakfast menu this month.

This salad is not only a delicious way to start the morning, it also makes a beautiful side salad with lunch or dinner too.

The Poppy Seed Dressing compliments the tangy sweetness of the fruits, and the nuts add both protein and crunch, making this a really flavorful dish to add to any healthy menu this year.

Ingredients in this Stunning Citrus Salad

• Citrus Fruits
• Candied Walnuts (recipe: Vanilla Glazed Walnuts)
• Fresh Parsley

Ingredients in the Dressing

To make this Tangy Vinaigrette for the Fresh Citrus Salad

• White Wine Vinegar
• Maple Syrup
• Coconut Oil
• Onion
• Yellow Mustard
• Poppy Seeds

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make this Simple Citrus Salad Recipe

1. First, prepare the fruit for this delicious citrus salad. Then, slice each citrus horizontally on a cutting board using a sharp knife to create discs.
2. After that, slice the peel off each disc and remove any seeds.
3. Next, prepare the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined. For best results with the coconut oil, work with room temperature ingredients.
4. Then, pour the dressing over the prepared fruit.
5. Lastly, garnish with nuts and parsley. Then, serve immediately.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Use several types of citrus for a rainbow of colors – cara cara oranges, blood oranges, and red grapefruits will go well with navel oranges or tangerines. The vibrant colors will be so appealing during the cold, winter days of citrus season.

If you want to remove the white pith from your citrus slices, try using this How to Supreme Oranges tutorial to cut perfect citrus segments

Serve it in a large, low salad bowl so you can display all of the beautiful colors of this vibrant salad.

How to Store this Citrus Salad Recipe

This fresh citrus salad is best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

If you plan to have leftovers, I recommend serving the salad dressing in a separate container alongside the assembled salad ingredients. Then, store any leftover citrus and dressing separately.

What Else Would Taste Good in this Citrus Salad

Want to take this Winter Citrus Salad recipe to the next level? Here are my suggestions:

• Add some avocado slices.
• Top it with some pomegranate arils
• Add some crumbled goat cheese.
• Serve it over fresh greens.

This makes a gorgeous presentation and turns a fruit salad into a fancy, refreshing winter salad. For the greens, I like mixed salad greens, arugula, and spinach. You’ll see what a nice change this is from your usual green salad .

When to Serve Citrus Salad

This salad is simple enough you could prepare it on a weekday. But, it is so pretty that it works well for special occasions, too!

• Winter Brunch
• A Baby Shower
• Valentine’s Day Dinner

Try this Citrus Salad at Home!

Next time you’re looking for refreshing salad recipes, give this Citrus Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing a try!

Did you love making a salad out of all your favorite citrus fruits? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this salad!

More Healthy Recipes for a Winter Day

In this Massaged Kale Salad recipe, kale is lightly massaged with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, it’s tossed with roasted delicata squash, roasted red onions, herbed goat cheese, and pepitas.

Do you love Olive Garden’s famous house salad? Learn how simple it is to make at home with this Olive Garden salad recipe so you can enjoy your favorite flavors without the cost of eating out!

This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is so full of color! The sweet and salty bites of squash pair well with the juicy pomegranate arils and the bold Roquefort cheese.

Take advantage of fresh winter produce by making this Fennel and Orange Salad. It’s bright and citrusy in flavor, and is so easy to make!

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This post and recipe were originally written by: Allison Ruth of Some the Wiser. It has been updated from the archives to include additional information.