Fruit salad meets savory side dish in this savory orange and grapefruit salad. It’s simple, unique and incredibly versatile. 

Why We Love This Recipe

The simple ingredient list is what I love most about this recipe. Sure, that means it’s easy, but more importantly it allows each ingredient to shine. Sweet and juicy oranges pair wonderfully with tart, slightly bitter grapefruit.

The minced shallot and chopped peanuts add savoriness while the ground sumac adds an additional dose of acid. Olive oil, flaky sea salt and a good amount of black pepper bring it all together. Simple, savory and sweet.

Ingredients in this Citrus Salad

Oranges and grapefruit are great here. Feel free to use any combination of citrus fruit you like such as navel oranges, cara cara oranges, clementines, mandarins, tangerines, blood oranges, and/or kumquats.

Shallot, shallots add a onion/garlic flavor to the salad. Their flavor gets slightly mellowed from marinating in citrus juice for a few minutes. 

Peanuts, roasted and salted are best here. Feel free to use almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds). 

Extra-virgin olive oil adds a fruity flavor. Regular olive oil can be used but it won’t be as flavorful. 

Ground sumac adds a lovely earthy/acidic flavor to this dish. It’s a must-have spice in my kitchen.

Salt and pepper, I recommend using flaky sea salt (kosher would be my second option here) and freshly cracked black pepper.

citrus segments on a large white plate topped with spices, salt and peanuts

Tips for Making a Really Good Citrus Salad

  1. Supreme the citrus fruit, aka cut it into segments. This technique is easier than you may think and creates really juicy, sweet pieces of fruit. Check out this how-to video for instructions on how to supreme grapefruit and oranges.
  2. “Marinate” the minced shallots in reserved citrus juice. The process of supremeing or segmenting citrus juice leaves you with quite a bit of citrus membranes full of juice. Squeeze the membranes to release the orange juice and grapefruit juices. Add the minced shallot to the juice and set aside for a few minutes. This will take the “edge” or “potency” off of the shallot.
  3. Add some crunchy and salty ingredients. It’s important with any dish to make sure it’s balanced in both flavor and texture. Orange and grapefruit are sweet, juicy, tender and tart. Flaky sea salt and roasted salted peanuts add contrasting crunch and saltiness.

FAQs

What is ground sumac, and do I have to use it?

Sumac is a Middle-Eastern spice that has a gorgeous red hue and a tangy, almost citrusy flavor.
You can find ground sumac in most Middle Eastern grocery stores, though it’s becoming easier to find in major grocery stores. You can also buy ground sumac from Amazon. 

I can’t have peanuts, what should I substitute with?

Roasted and salted almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds would all be great substitutions for the peanuts. 

I don’t have shallot, what should I do?

Substitute the minced shallot with scallions (also called green onions). Chop the whites of a scallion and marinate the whites in the citrus juice. Thinly slice the greens and us as an herb for the salad.

citrus segments on a large white plate topped with spices, salt and peanuts

Variations on this Grapefruit and Orange Salad

  • Make a citrus vinaigrette by whisking some Dijon mustard and olive oil into the shallots and citrus juice.
  • Add herbs to the salad. Try thyme, cilantro, or chives.
  • Add avocado, or check out this Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

More Fruit Salads to Try

Savory Citrus Salad with Peanuts

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 3 –4 servings
Category Side Dish
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

A great go-to side dish for citrus season! Sweet, savory and downright simple!

Ingredients

  • 3 naval oranges
  • 2 ruby grapefruit
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • ¼ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts*
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground sumac
  • Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
  • Cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Peel and segment oranges and grapefruit; transfer segments to a large plate. Squeeze juice from leftover citrus membranes into a small bowl.
  • Add shallot to citrus juice and stir; set aside for a few minutes.
  • Sprinkle peanuts, sumac, ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt) and 8–10 turns of black pepper over top. Spoon marinated shallots and a few spoonfuls of juice over citrus segments. Drizzle olive oil over top.

Notes

Feel free to use any combination of citrus you enjoy.

Nutrition

Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
citrus segments on a large white plate topped with spices, salt and peanuts

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This recipe is adapted from a recipe I originally developed for Pompeian Olive Oil. 

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I bought sumac just for this recipe and my gosh, my salad game has changed! such a unique spice that definitely adds a little “something.” We love this salad in our house.