This vibrant and juicy orange, tomatoes and avocado salad makes a great starter, light lunch or a side dish. The trio shares the plate with pungent red onion, fresh mint and sliced manchego. A sharp dressing with red wine vinegar and minced garlic makes for a perfect finishing touch.
The Flavour Affair:
Orange + Tomatoes + Avocado + Mint + Red Onion + Red Wine Vinegar + Garlic
Sweet and tangy, creamy and crunchy, juicy and fresh, this combination is a true hit!
Oranges: plump oranges with meaty flesh (like Navel or Valencia types) is what we want here.
Tomatoes: sweet and slightly acidic plum tomatoes work best in this salad.
Avocado: I like hass avocados – even when ripe, their texture remains firm enough to hold up the shape of the slices. Avocados add substance and their sweet, nutty taste tones down the tang from oranges and tomatoes.
Mint: fresh mint leaves add an invigorating, crisp and cool touch.
Red onions: create an amazing contrast with crunchy texture and a pungent taste.
Red wine vinegar: works really well in the dressing because it brings out the juiciness of oranges and tomatoes.
Garlic: a little bit of fresh minced garlic creates a punchy finish.
Additionally, you can top the salad up with sliced manchego cheese. Mature manchego imparts a sharp, savory flavour that is great for balancing the sweetness of other ingredients.
Preparation tips for Orange, Tomatoes and Avocado Salad:
- For a more pleasant texture, supreme the oranges: take the skin off with a sharp knife and separate the flesh from the membranes, trying to keep the wedgy shape.
- To enhance the visual appeal, choose tomatoes that are more narrow and elongated and thinly slice them across. Cut avocado into semi circles with the same thickness as the tomatoes.
- You can soak sliced onions in ice water for 10-15 minutes before adding them to the salad if you’d like to soften their pungent flavour.
- This salad does not keep well in the fridge. If preparing beforehand, get all ingredients ready (including soaking the onions) but only combine right before serving.
Serving suggestions:
This salad goes extremely well with fish and seafood, particularly salmon, and particularly this Orange Glazed Salmon! It can also make a light yet nutritious lunch or dinner on its own.
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Orange, Tomatoes and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 sweet oranges supremed
- 2-3 ripe plum tomatoes sliced into 0.5cm circles
- 1 avocado sliced into 0.5cm semi circles
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- A few shavings of mature manchego optional
- Freshly ground black pepper to finish
For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp rock salt
Instructions
- Place sliced red onion into a small bowl filled with ice cold water and soak for 10-15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and salt.
- Add the onions and the tomatoes to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Add orange wedges, avocado and chopped mint and give it a gentle mix.
- Transfer the salad onto a serving plate.
- Top with shaved manchego and season with a couple of grinds of black pepper mill.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad doesn’t last well in the fridge as the dressing will make avocado turn mushy. If preparing beforehand, keep the ingredients separately and combine just before serving.
