What can I say? I needed something bright and sunny in my life this week. This salad is just that. Bright and sunny.

Grapefruits tend to be aplenty here in Texas during the winter time, so I always like to do something fun with them to stave off the winter blues. Not like it's been very much like winter around here lately with a high of 75 in the forecast for the upcoming week here in Austin.

Even so, my spirits needed some lifting and this bright salad was definitely a step in the right direction since it has some of my most favorite things in it. Two of which I've been absolutely obsessed with lately; grapefruit and avocado!

Honestly, I cannot express to you how amazing this tastes. The vinaigrette alone is so good that you could nearly drink it straight from the bowl. And I do mean... nearly.

There's so much flavor packed into that vinaigrette (and with such little ingredients), that just dipping my little finger into it for a taste made it my new favorite dressing.

And now for a moment more of honesty. I've never had fresh fennel before. Can you believe it? I've got to say though, I'm kind of in love. It has almost a cabbage like texture while having a completely different taste than cabbage would. It's pretty divine. It was definitely a perfect addition to this salad to give it some crunch and texture without overpowering the citrus.

Don't let the salad fool you, pair it with some multi-grain rice crackers and you've got a filling little meal that will keep you satisfied.

Since this salad has fresh avocado in it, I would recommend eating it the same day as it's prepared; just because the avocado will begin to oxidize the longer it sits.

Citrus Fennel Salad & White Wine Vinaigrette
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 5 • Size: About 1 Cup • Calories: 323.1 • Fat: 20.4 g • Carb: 37.2 g • Fiber: 8.5 g • Protein: 3.5 g • Sugar: 26.7 g • Sodium: 27.5 mg

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 Small Grapefruit, Peeled & Seeded
3 Naval Oranges, Peeled & Seeded
3 Mandarin Oranges, Peeled & Seeded
1 Fennel Bulb, Shaved
1 Avocado, Cubed or Sliced
1 Shallot, Shaved
Fennel Fronds

White Wine Vinaigrette:
1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Honey
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk up the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and carefully toss to coat.

Enjoy right away!

You could store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, but the avocados tend to discolor and the fruit all absorbs the taste of the shallot and fennel so it's not quite the same as it is when it's fresh.