This Cherry Citrus Salad is the perfect winter salad to go with almost any meal. The tangy vinaigrette, paired with salty feta, sweet tart cherries, crunchy pecans and fresh greens will instantly make you feel like you have your life together (even if you're a hot mess like the rest of us). Want more to love? This recipe is grain and gluten-free.
Looking for a super bold salad, this is the one you have been waiting for! It combines the best flavors and healthy ingredients.I love everything about this salad but the tart cherries are one of my favorite ingredients and really make this one super flavorful!
In this salad you will find plenty of fiber, micronutrients and a bit of healthy fat making it an excellent addition to a perfectly cooked steak or a tender piece of salmon. And, you can't beat a dinner side that is ready in 15 minutes!
How To Make The Honey Vinaigrette?
This healthy honey vinaigrette is sweet and tangy with a hint of citrus. It is the best light dressing recipe to have on hand and super easy to make. I also love using it as a marinade for fish!
The ingredients in this salad dressing are gluten-free and paleo.
To make this dressing simply combine the following ingredients in an airtight container and shake until the honey is completely dissolved.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Clove of garlic Minced
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Fresh orange juice About ¼ orange
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
What Can I Substitute To Make This Recipe Paleo?
To make this recipe paleo you will need to omit the feta and choose unsweetened dried tart cherries. In place of the feta I would swap in some freshly cooked and crumbled bacon to give you that salty element, and you wont feel like you are missing a thing! All other ingredients are paleo-friendly.
How Can I Make This Cherry Citrus Salad Vegan?
In order to make this recipe appropriate for a vegan diet you will need to swap the honey that is used in the dressing for maple syrup. The feta will also need to be removed, but you can add in a cashew-based cheese instead. I really like the brand Miyoko's.
Possible Substitutions
- The extra virgin olive oil in the dressing could be replaced with avocado oil in a pinch. Olive oil is preferred but it is not a make or break.
- The white balsamic vinegar could be replaced with white wine vinegar. Avoid using a strong tasting vinegar like apple cider vinegar.
- Any tender greens could be used in place of the spring mix, like baby romaine or arugula (just remember arugula is quite bitter and not for everyone but it does go well with citrus!).
- The feta could be replaced with a goat cheese (a honey goat cheese would be great!).
- If you can't find seedless navel oranges, you could use any sweet seedless oranges or you could remove the seeds from a seedy (?) orange. Just make sure you pick a couple sweet and flavorful pieces of citrus for this salad.
- Slivered almonds could be used instead of pecans. If you are nut-free, you could substitute roasted hulled sunflower seeds or even crunchy bacon pieces.
- While the dried tart cherries are my favorite part, they could be swapped for dried apple juice sweetened cranberries. Sugar sweetened cranberries might just be a bit too sweet and not quite tangy enough.
Related Recipes
- Pomegranate and Feta Winter Salad
- Spicy Thai Peanut Salad
- Whole30 Asian Chicken Salad
- Apple Pecan Salad
Did you try this Cherry Citrus Salad? I would love to see your creations! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or leave a photo comment on Pinterest.
Feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. Feedback is always appreciated! 😊
📖 Recipe
Cherry Citrus Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Salad bowl
- Small container with lid
Ingredients
Honey Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Clove of garlic Minced
- 2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Fresh orange juice About ¼ orange
- ¼ tsp Coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp Pink Himalayan salt
Salad
- 5 ounces Spring mix or baby greens
- 2 ounces Feta
- 2 Small seedless navel oranges
- 2 ounces Raw pecans Toasted and salted
- ¼ Red onion Thinly sliced
- ¼-1/2 cup Dried tart cherries
Instructions
Honey Vinaigrette
- Peel and mince garlic and then combine all ingredients for dressing in a small container with a lid. Make sure container is properly sealed and then shake until the honey has dissolved completely. Set aside.
Salad
- If using roasted pecans skip to next step. For raw pecans: In a small frying pan with a bit of oil, toast pecans over low heat for 1-2 minutes. They should start to become fragrant and appear slightly toasted but should not become dark. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and set aside.
- Thinly slice ¼ of a red onion, and crumble feta. Using a knife cut off the peel from the oranges and slice into rounds.
- In a large bowl, add greens and top with onion, feta, pecans, dried cherries and orange slices. Dress salad last with as much dressing as you would like. Serve immediately.
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