Avocado grapefruit salad recipe! A flavorful yet simple spring salad with strawberry and mint. Topped with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette.
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Hello, Rhubarbarians! Today we are tossing together a fabulous avocado grapefruit salad with some strawberries, mint, and even cheese. The PERFECT spring salad.
Why this recipe works: Tart ruby grapefruit, sweet strawberries, creamy and nutty avocado, herby mint, and salty cheese make for a fabulous flavor combo! We also create a simple vinaigrette with fresh grapefruit juice so everything just sings. Give it a try!
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The perfect spring salad
This salad is a wonderful late winter/transition to spring salad! Late winter citrus and early spring strawberries along with avocado, mint, and some nutty manchego cheese. It's just soooo good.
You'll love the refreshing, juicy grapefruit alongside spring favorites like strawberries and mint. It's light, bright, and super delicious.
Have you tried our protein packed grapefruit quinoa salad?
Here's what you'll need
Ingredients:
- Grapefruit: we love ruby grapefruit as it's the sweetest! See the section below for choosing the right grapefruit for you.
- Avocado: creamy, nutty, and oh so perfect.
- Greens: try arugula, spinach, or baby kale.
- Fresh strawberries: gotta be fresh!
- Cheese: we love manchego, but swiss, pecorino romano, or gruyere are great too.
- White vinegar: for the vinaigrette.
- Extra virgin olive oil: for the vinaigrette.
- Salt and pepper
Equipment:
- Sharp knife: for segmenting the grapefruit and chopping/slicing your ingredients. We love this paring knife for segmenting grapefruit!
- Small bowl: for catching the grapefruit juice while segmenting.
- Measuring spoons: for the reserved grapefruit juice and vinaigrette.
- Large bowl: for tossing the salad.
- Jar with tight fitting lid: for making the vinaigrette. Alternatively you could whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Large utensils: for tossing the salad.
Choosing your grapefruit
For this salad, I like to stick with ruby grapefruit or red grapefruit. A sweet pink grapefruit could be nice too. There isn't any added sugar in the salad or the dressing, so tart white grapefruit may be too tart. The strawberries add a bit of sweetness, but if your grapefruit is too tart you can always add a bit of sugar or maple syrup to the dressing.
Want to learn more about grapefruit? We wrote a whole beginner's guide to grapefruit!
Pro tip: the redder the grapefruit flesh, the sweeter it will be. If you can't find ruby grapefruits, you can add a bit of sugar or maple syrup to your vinaigrette!
How to segment a grapefruit
This recipe calls for segmenting the grapefruit over a bowl to retain the juice, while keeping the segments in tact for the salad. It's not difficult to segment a grapefruit, but it can take a bit of practice to get very neat segments.
Here's a very short video that teaches how to segment a grapefruit.
- First, you'll want to cut the dimpled ends off (the top and the bottom of the grapefruit). Stand it up on a flat end and with a very sharp knife (we recommend this chef's knife!), cut the peel and the white pith away along the curve of the grapefruit from top to bottom.
- Once the flesh is bare, grab a bowl and do the next part over the bowl to catch all the juice and the segments. Run a paring knife (this one is great!) along the inside of the membranes, cutting segments out as you go. Again, watch the video so you can see it in action!
- When all the flesh is removed from the membrane, you have segmented your grapefruit! Remove the segments from your bowl and set aside. Then squeeze the membrane of the grapefruit with your hands over the bowl. Don't waste that juice!
Have you tried our 15-minute arugula salad with lemon rosemary chickpeas?
How to make it
Once you segment the grapefruit, this avocado grapefruit salad is a breeze to throw together. (Full instructions are listed in the recipe card below)
- First, segment your grapefruit over a small bowl so that you can reserve a bit of the grapefruit juice. Place your segments in a large salad bowl.
- Add the avocado, greens, strawberries, and cheese to the bowl.
- Make your vinaigrette (see below).
- Dress the salad, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
- Enjoy!
The dressing
There are only 3 ingredients in this simple grapefruit vinaigrette: grapefruit juice, white vinegar, and olive oil! (Full instructions are listed in the recipe card below)
- In a small container with a tight fitting lid (I use a mason jar), combine the reserved grapefruit juice, the vinegar, and the olive oil.
- Close the lid and give a good shake until emulsified.
If you don't use all the dressing, it can be kept in the closed container on the counter for a few days.
How to serve
For us, this spring salad is the perfect light meal paired with a thick slice of buttered rustic bread.
It would make a fabulous side dish alongside portobello mushroom burgers, spinach artichoke frittata, or vegan split pea soup!
Make it a main-course salad!
- Add chickpeas, or better yet, add these lemon rosemary crispy chickpeas.
- Add some cooked tofu
- Toss in some green lentils
- Simply add more vegetables like cucumber and peas.
Recipe tips and substitutions
- Make sure you choose a grapefruit that is sweet enough without any added sugar. See the notes above about choosing the right grapefruit. If you are using a white grapefruit, you could add a bit of sugar or maple syrup to your dressing to keep the salad from being too tart.
- Manchego cheese is great in this salad because it's mild and very nutty. But it can be hard to find and expensive. Parmesan or swiss cheese are great options as a substitute. Or gruyere if you're feeling fancy!
- There's a lot of juice in this salad, so you'll want to choose greens that can stand up to the grapefruit and the dressing. Spinach, baby kale, or arugula are great choices!
FAQs
Sure! Sometimes you can find pre-segmented grapefruit at your grocery store. Great idea!
Just omit the cheese. Or replace the cheese with chopped walnuts.
We don't recommend frozen strawberries. They don't hold up well in salads when defrosted.
More salad recipes to try
Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.
Recipe
Avocado grapefruit salad recipe! A flavorful yet simple spring salad with strawberry and mint. Topped with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette.
- 2 medium ruby or red grapefruits
- 1 large avocado
- 3 cups packed arugula, spinach, or baby kale
- 4 large strawberries, thinly sliced
- 2 oz small cubes of manchego cheese
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
-
Segment the grapefruits, reserving 2 Tbsp of the grapefruit juice. Drink, or save remaining juice. Place segments in a large salad bowl. Pit, and slice the avocado. Remove slices from avocado skin and place in the same bowl as the grapefruit. Add the greens, strawberries, and cheese to the bowl.
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Combine the reserved 2 Tbsp of grapefruit juice, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl or jar with tight fitting lid. Whisk or shake to emulsify. Drizzle about half the dressing onto the salad and toss to combine. Taste, and add more dressing if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine again.
Serve and enjoy!
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Amanda
This beautiful salad looks like spring on a plate! I am so ready for these bright fresh flavors that mean warmer weather is on the horizon (we've been teased with a few summer-like days around here lately!). I absolutely love the photo of the dressing pour. What a fantastic capture! I love the idea of adding the crispy lemon chickpeas, too. This will definitely be on my lunch menu for next week!
Marisa F. Stewart
Nothing says summer is right around the corner than a delicious salad that features fruit. I like grapefruit -- not too sweet but just enough to give the salad the sweetness it needs and the avocado is fantastic for the creaminess. Strawberries have always been a favorite so this salad is ideal and it packs a lot of nutritional punch.
Dana
Ho-lee moly girl. There are SO many awesome flavors happening here! I feel like this salad is so refreshing that it could almost be thirst-quenching, too. So many juicy fruits! Also, manchego is hands down one of my favorite cheeses. I don't buy it or use it enough. If I do, I end up eating it on its own before I get to actually use it in a dish, ha. Can't wait to make this!
Debra
Totally with you on the grapefruit/strawberry combo. The strawberries are looking awesome this year too. Thanks for the tips on sectioning. Very handy. Also, I appreciate the suggestions of making it a main meal with beans. DEfinitely going to do that.
Traci
Oh my goodness...can I just say you have packed ALL of my favorite things packed in ONE bowl?!?! I love this thirst-quenching combination and all the nutritious benefits. Thanks for another beauty 🙂
Jenni LeBaron
I love adding grapefruit to salads because it adds just the perfect bite of sharp citrus thats both tart and sweet. Paired with some creamy avocado and a sharp salty cheese and I'm in heaven! Great recipe!
Patricia Bozeman
You are right, grapefruit is awesome in salads! Thanks, Jenni!
Daniela
Yum! You had me at manchego; it's my absolute favorite cheese. I also love the rest of the flavors in this salad, especially the strawberries and grapefruit together. I might take your advice and add some lentils to turn this into a filling dinner salad next week.
Tracy
Wow what a gorgeous salad!! Loveee the combo of all of these flavors. And THANK YOU for those tips about segmenting a grapefruit - I used to always struggle with this!!
Julie Menghini
What a beautiful salad. I could literally dig into that all of that freshness. The simple vinaigrette sounds delicious too and would be so good on so many dishes. We love grapefruit and I've got to try this salad. It will be perfect for our weekend lunch! It reminds me of the summer that's taking its time getting here!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
Tricia, this salad is so bright and colorful, it made me smile just looking at it. Your obsession with strawberry and grapefruit is warranted... what a great flavor combo and when you can find both fruits at their peak (like you can right now) it's practically demanded that this salad come to the table. I happen to have everything I need to make it -- even a perfectly ripe avocado, so I look forward to trying this one. Your photos are gorgeous, by the way.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I am so looking forward to actual spring weather. SUNNY and at least on the comfortable (not freezing) temperatures. This looks like the perfect way to ring in the season. Love the flavour profile.