This Ombre Citrus Salad is not your mama’s fruit tray. You know those sad little fruit trays you see at graduation parties? This is way more beautiful and appetizing, and it takes all of fifteen minutes. I was in a total creative rut this week, and I couldn’t snap out of it. I had been craving desserts, and I was about to have my way with a lemon pie when I thought better of it and decided simple and beautiful is better. Especially when citrus is really happy looking like it is right now. This platter of citrus practically smiles at you.
If you are looking for an easy appetizer to bring to a party, or if you’re trying to lay off the desserts, this beautiful platter of fruit is show stopping and delicious. It’s sprinkled with fresh basil, pistachios, and drizzled with delicious, runny honey. In the words of Jonathan Van Ness, yas henny! This barely needs a recipe, but I included one anyways. Let me show you how it’s done.
Start by peeling the citrus with a knife. I like to cut off the end of the citrus to create a flat surface to sit nicely on the cutting board. Then cut down and around the edges with your knife, removing the peel to reveal the fruit. There should be very little white on the grapefruit and orange.
Blood orange is a bit challenging. It tends to fall apart easier without its peel. So instead, simply cut the blood orange, peel and all into slices. Then slice off most of the peel on each slice, leaving a bit of white to keep the slice together.
Next, arrange the slices, overlapping slightly, with two rows of orange at the top, followed by two rows of grapefruit, followed by two rows of blood orange.
Tear the basil over the citrus. Then sprinkle on the pistachios and drizzle the honey all over.
That’s it! It’s super easy and so beautiful for serving. If you love this recipe, also check out this Heirloom Tomato Salad.
- 2 navel oranges
- 2 grapefruits
- 2 blood oranges
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2 tsp honey
- Slice off the peels of the oranges, grapefruits, and blood oranges with a sharp knife. Start by cutting off the bottom of the citrus to create a flat surface. Place the citrus bottom side on the cutting board, and use a knife to slice off the peel from the top to the bottom all the way around.
- Slice the citrus in crosswise slices about ¼ inch thick.
- On a platter, start by arranging the oranges at the top in two overlapping rows. Then layer two rows of grapefruit below the oranges, and two rows of blood oranges below the grapefruits.
- Tear the basil over the citrus platter, spreading it out.
- Sprinkle the pistachios over the oranges and drizzle the honey over the whole tray.
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