Citrus Salad with Hazelnuts and Honey Vinaigrette

Choose your favorite citrus fruits for this salad, topped with a honey vinaigrette, and sprinkle with little bits of kalamata olives, cilantro, and toasted hazelnuts. 

We went from cookie season to citrus season, and I’m not sure which one is more exciting. 

Seeing all the thousands of yellow and orange orbs of all sizes piled up high at Central Market’s Citrus Fest gets me every year. From the tiniest kumquats to the heaviest Rio Grande Valley grapefruit and everything in between, we are in for a taste test. And let me say it’s hard to choose a favorite.

But you don’t need to choose a favorite with this Citrus Salad with Hazelnuts and Honey Vinaigrette. Just gather up whatever strikes you and get to work peeling and slicing. It’s so worth it. Top with a honey vinaigrette, and sprinkle with little bits of kalamata olives, cilantro, and toasted hazelnuts. The olives give this “salad” a little salty kick, the cilantro gives it depth, and the hazelnuts give it toasty crunch.

Yes, this all fits nicely into our resolutions for the new year. But you’ll want to eat it anyway.

Citrus Salad with Hazelnuts and Honey Vinaigrette

5 to 6 assorted citrus fruits, such as ruby red grapefruit, pomelo, navel orange, blood orange
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 kalamata olives, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
½ cup toasted hazelnuts*

To peel the fruit, first cut off the ends so that you can stand the fruit on one of the flat sides. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice off the peel and pith, following the shape of the fruit. 

Slice the peeled citrus into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange the slices on a platter.

Whisk the vinegar, honey, and olive oil together in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the fruit. Sprinkle the olives, cilantro, and hazelnuts over top and serve.

*To toast the hazelnuts, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts on a sheet pan and roast for about 10 minutes, until they start to brown. Take them out of the oven and place the nuts on a dish towel. Fold the dish towel over the nuts to envelop them, then roll them around between the dish towel. The skins will fall off.