Fresh Grapefruit Salad

This refreshing grapefruit salad recipe stars the juicy citrus fruit with toasted almonds, feta cheese, and a zingy poppy seed dressing.

Here’s a bright, beautiful salad recipe that works in almost any season: this refreshing Grapefruit Salad! It pairs the juicy citrus fruit with nutty toasted almonds, salty feta cheese and a zingy poppy seed dressing. Give it a taste and the delicate, zingy, nut and creamy textures and flavors complement each other perfectly! We can’t resist a good fruit-topped green salad, and this one has become a true favorite around here. It’s perfect for wintery meals, but it’s great in summer too.

Ingredients in this grapefruit salad

Grapefruit salad can be made in a myriad of ways: this one is a simple mix of greens, nuts, cheese, and a zingy vinaigrette. It’s ideal as a side salad for weeknight meals or festive occasions, and you can also add protein to make into a main dish salad (more below). Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

• Pink grapefruit
• Red onion
• Mixed greens or butter lettuce: We like the contrast and crunch of delicate butter lettuce here, but you can use any greens you like.
• Feta or goat cheese crumbles: Use whatever you like best or have on hand.
• Toasted almonds: It’s worth the 5 extra minutes to toast the almonds: the nutty flavor makes quite a difference!

How to peel and segment grapefruit for a salad

The only tricky part of this grapefruit salad is segmenting the grapefruit. To do so, use this simple method called supreming, which works for any type of citrus fruit. This removes the pith of the grapefruit and leaves only the juicy fruit, making it much easier to eat in salads. It takes a bit of time, but it’s worth it! Here’s what to do (click here for step by step photos):

1. Use a large chef’s knife to slice off both ends of the grapefruit. Make sure you’ve cut through all of the pith and can see some of the flesh.
2. Angle the knife and cut around the round shape of the fruit to remove the peel. Be careful not to cut too much of the flesh away.
3. Make angled cuts right right on the inside of each membrane line to remove a segment (don’t want to cut right on the membrane, but just inside of it). Make the two angled cuts, and the segment will pop right out. Repeat for all segments!

For the poppy seed dressing

The best part of this grapefruit salad, in our opinion, is the homemade poppy seed dressing! This recipe is a spin-off on our poppy seed dressing, simplified a bit with a smaller quantity. It makes a huge statement in this salad recipe, so don’t skip it! (We’ve got a few alternative options below.) Here’s what you’ll need for the dressing recipe:

• Granulated sugar or honey
• White vinegar
• Dry mustard (mustard powder)
• Onion powder
• Kosher salt
• Grapeseed oil
• Poppy seeds

Simply whisk together the first 5 ingredients, then gradually whisk in the olive oil. Add the poppy seeds and you’re done! Of course, you could substitute a store-bought poppy seed dressing if you choose. Or, keep reading for a few more dressing ideas.

Other grapefruit salad dressing ideas

Want to mix up this grapefruit salad? Here are a few more salad dressing options that would work well with the sweet and savory combinations:

• Balsamic Vinaigrette This classic goes well just about anywhere, and it’s perfect with citrus.
• Basic Vinaigrette This zingy easy dressing is the perfect complement to these flavors.
• Citrus Salad Dressing or Orange Vinaigrette Go big on citrus with a burst of lemon and orange.
• Red Wine Vinaigrette Opt for simple with this quick and easy vinaigrette.

Make it a main dish salad

Want to turn this grapefruit salad into a main dish? We love adding protein to salads to make them into a meal. Here are our top choices to round this out:

• Grilled or roasted chicken
• Grilled salmon or blackened salmon
• Sauteed shrimp
• Baked tofu
• Grilled halloumi

More grapefruit recipes

Got this pink fruit on hand? Here are a few more grapefruit recipes to use it:

• Blend up Grapefruit Juice or a Grapefruit Smoothie
• Try Grapefruit Soda
• Make a Grapefruit Shandy

01

Grapefruit Juice

02

Grapefruit Smoothie

03

Grapefruit Soda

04

Grapefruit Shandy

This grapefruit salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For dairy-free, plant-based and vegan, omit the cheese.

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