Citrus Salad With Peanuts and Avocado 

By Tejal Rao

Citrus Salad With Peanuts and Avocado 
Paola & Murray for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Angharad Bailey.
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(556)
Comments
Read comments

There’s really no need for leafy greens in a big, meaty citrus salad. The first step is to acquire a range of fruit — citrus of different colors, sizes and shapes, with varied levels of acidity and sweetness. Cutting the fruit so you don’t lose too much juice is key: Cut the pith and peel with a knife, then slice the fruit horizontally with a sharp knife that doesn’t crush and squeeze. A simple dressing of fish sauce, sweetened with a little brown sugar, works well, especially when it’s offset with some fatty pieces of avocado and some fresh herbs.

Featured in: A Simple Citrus Salad to Brighten Up the Dead of Winter

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2blood oranges
  • 2grapefruits
  • 2tangerines
  • 1ripe avocado
  • ¼cup fish sauce
  • 2tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
  • 1tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
  • 1shallot, minced
  • 1handful mint leaves
  • 1handful cilantro leaves
  • ½cup roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

310 calories; 17 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 26 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 1496 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice off citrus tips on both sides using a sharp knife to create two flat surfaces. Setting the citrus on one flat surface, slice off the skin and pith, following the shape of the sphere. Once skins are fully removed, slice each fruit horizontally into ½-inch-thick rounds. Roughly dice the avocado.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the fish sauce, sugar and vinegar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the shallot. Transfer the citrus segments, avocado, half the herbs and half the peanuts to the dressing bowl, and gently toss to coat. Tip into a serving plate, and garnish with remaining herbs and peanuts.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
556 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Roxane

Really good, and an unusual diversion from the more Sicilian-style salad mentioned in the article that I often make this time of year. I halved the recommended amount of fish sauce (I like it as a rule, but 1/4 cup looked like an awful lot next to the citrus) and found that to be more than enough. Next time I'll start with maybe a tablespoon and splash in more to taste.

Minh

Vegetarian fish sauce is available, perhaps not at the average grocery store but definitely at your nearest Vietnamese or Asian grocery. Look for "nước mắm chay."

David

So many anti-fish sauce comments. Oh, America. Everything about this recipe is great. Ignore the detractors and pour it on. I added this recipe at the last minute to my dinner party menu and it was my favorite dish of the night! Thanks!

Julia

Fantastic salad. I’ve already prepared it 3x. I also turned it into a fennel citrus salad and kept the dressed. I agree that pouring the dressing over as you’re about to serve is better than tossing it ahead of time. I used chopped pistachios instead of peanuts and added sesame oil and chopped serrano to the dressing. Fantastic.

Sarah Indianapolis

Made, halved, for two of us. Boosted to full-meal by splitting a small head of Little Gem lettuce, chopped and 1/2 bag gluten free breaded shrimp from Trader Joe’s. Dressing amount was just right with the extras. Only unnecessary ingredient was the peanuts. The crunch was nice, but I think a toasted crouton may have played better together. Next time I make it, I will supreme the citrus. As slices, they were a beautiful presentation, yet difficult to eat. Wish I could upload a photo—truly stunning looking salad!

Kathleen

All the citrus was fresh from our trees and usually we like fish sauce but neither my husband nor I liked the taste of this combination. Even though I halved the fish sauce it overpowered all the other flavors with a salty/briney taste. If you’re unsure which camp you fall into, make the salad and dressing but do a small taste test before pouring it on. And have a backup dressing in mind if necessary.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.