Citrus Crunch Salad is fresh and flavourful with crunchy veggies and walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and a tangy citrus vinaigrette. It’s a healthier version of coleslaw that takes just 10 minutes to assemble. You can serve it as a side salad or add chicken to enjoy it as a main meal!
This post was originally published in January 2019. It has been updated to include adjustments to the recipe as well as new text and photos.
Happy New Year! And just like that, it’s 2020! How did you celebrate?
We spent most of the holiday season relaxing, and New Year’s Eve was no exception. We enjoyed lots of food, watched movies and rang in 2020 with some bubbly.
But now it’s time to get back to a routine, and the first order of business is adding more veggies back into our meals.
This Citrus Crunch Salad is a great way to do that. If you have 10 minutes, you can whip up this salad for weekday lunches or as a side salad for dinner. Add some pre-cooked chicken or salmon to make it an all-in-one meal.
Ingredients to make Citrus Crunch Salad:
For the vinaigrette:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Orange juice
- Red wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
For the salad:
- Pre-packaged coleslaw mix (red and green cabbage, carrots)
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Clementines
- Walnuts
- Blue cheese
How to make this healthy coleslaw salad:
This one comes together quickly and easily. Just assemble and toss.
- In a glass jar with a lid, add all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Seal and shake.
- In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients, pour on the vinaigrette and toss until everything is well combined.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can you make this citrus crunch salad in advance? This salad is best enjoyed immediately after it’s assembled. If you want to make it ahead of time, wait to add the walnuts, clementines and vinaigrette until just before serving. This will ensure the salad stays fresh and crunchy.
- How do you store the vinaigrette? If you’re making this salad in advance, you will need to store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just give it a good shake before adding it to the salad.
- How do you add crunch to this citrus crunch salad? The walnuts add most of the the crunch (in addition to the crunchy coleslaw mix). If you don’t have or like walnuts, you can add almonds, pecans or cashews. You can also substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds to make it a nut-free salad.
- Can you use another type of cheese in place of the blue cheese? Blue cheese adds a punch of flavour and pairs nicely with the citrusy vinaigrette. But if blue cheese isn’t for you, try another flavourful cheese like feta or goat cheese.
- What type of citrus can you use in this salad? While I used clementines in this winter citrus salad, you can also use blood oranges, cara cara oranges or tangerines.
How to add this citrus salad to your meal prep routine:
- Make the vinaigrette, divide it into four separate jars and refrigerate.
- Combine the coleslaw mix, tomatoes and cheese and divide into four separate containers. Refrigerate.
- Package your walnuts separately. I like to keep them refrigerated too.
- Peel and separate your clementines just before serving.
- Add pre-cooked chicken or salmon to make it a meal.
Additional tips and substitutions for making this Winter Citrus Salad:
- If you can’t find pre-packaged coleslaw mix, any mix of crunchy veggies will work in this salad such as shredded Brussels sprouts or a broccoli slaw mix. You can even shred your own cabbage and carrot. Just note that this will add to the prep time.
- I used no-sugar added orange juice in the vinaigrette, but you can also use freshly squeezed orange juice.
Pin this Citrus Crunch Salad to make tonight!
Other flavourful salad recipes you might enjoy:
- Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing is a mix of fresh greens, veggies and fruit tossed with a simple citrus honey dressing made with clementines, honey, oil, vinegar and parsley.
- Grapefruit Salad with Cilantro and Goat Cheese is refreshing and tart with mixed greens, herbs and creamy goat cheese, all topped with a citrusy cilantro vinaigrette.
- Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing is loaded with Mediterranean flavours and topped with a thick and creamy fig dressing. It’s a delicious salad to meal prep for lunch or dinner.
If you make this Citrus Crunch Salad, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Citrus Crunch Salad (Healthier Coleslaw)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Description
Citrus Crunch Salad is fresh and flavourful with crunchy veggies and walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and a tangy citrus vinaigrette. It’s a healthier version of coleslaw that takes just 10 minutes to assemble!
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons no-sugar added orange juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Dash of ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 6 cups coleslaw mix (red and green cabbage and carrot)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 3 clementines, peeled and separated
Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette: In a small jar with a lid, add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and shake well. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients, including the vinaigrette. Mix until well combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re making this salad ahead of time, wait to add the walnuts, clementines and the dressing until just before serving. This will ensure the salad stays fresh and crunchy.
- The vinaigrette calls for no-sugar added orange juice, but you can also use freshly squeezed orange juice.
- If making the vinaigrette in advance, refrigerate until ready to use. Just shake well before adding it to the salad.
- I used clementines in this salad, but tangerines or blood oranges would also work nicely.
This is such a great way to start the New Year off right. Thanks for the salad inspiration I needed Leanne!
Glad this one inspired you! Thanks Yvonne!
Love everything about this salad! I can’t wait to make it! 🙂 Pinning!
Thanks Kim! I hope you like it!
As you know, I love whole-meal salads like this one! Great with shredded chicken, and THANK YOU for adding blue cheese. Big fan here 🙂
Yes, you have so many great salad recipes Elaine! I’ve added shredded chicken to this one, and it works really well! And big blue cheese fan here too. I don’t know why I don’t add it to my salads more often!
Such a perfect salad for a winter reset. Very healthy but comforting. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Philip! A filling salad can definitely be comforting!
I love winter because we get varieties of vegetables this season. And I love to have lots of salads in winter with my meal. I really loved your recipe, Leanne. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks so much Puja! I’m definitely appreciating all the winter produce this year! Glad you like the recipe. Hope you get to try it some time!
Citrus always adds some sunshine to winter, for me. And this salad looks like a perfect way to use up the clementines in my fridge. Delicious!
Thanks Colleen! That’s exactly why I love adding citrus to salads this time of year. It adds a little hint of sunshine on cold January days!
Yes! Salad with citrus – especially sweet little clementines – is a winner in my book! And the addition of crumbled blue cheese sounds wonderful! This will definitely be added to my rotation!! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Annie! I hope you like this one. I’ve been enjoying it for lunch quite a bit lately. The blue cheese pairs nicely with the tangy dressing!
I love a big, colourful salad in January after an indulgent holiday season and this one is gorgeous! Clean out the fridge meals are the best — I find I end up pairing ingredients I never would have otherwise. I could go for a bowl of this for lunch!
Thanks Justine! This salad has been on repeat since the holidays. I actually just had another bowl for lunch today! And I totally agree. The salads I enjoy the most are usually the ones created from random ingredients when I clean out the fridge!
Blue cheese is the best for a salad like this! I need to try it!!
Thanks Joyce! Hope you get a chance to make it. The blue cheese really adds a nice flavour!
I love how easy and delicious this is! Pictures are amazing too.
Thanks Terry! It was super easy! I’m eating it for lunch again today 🙂
I think winter gets a bad rap because it’s full of delicious produce…this salad is proof! Cabbage is a favorite of mine because I love the crunch factor, and all of these flavors sound so great together. I could eat this every day!
Thanks Marcie! I’m definitely trying to appreciate all the winter produce. And this salad is certainly going to be on repeat for a while! Have a great weekend!
I love all of the ingredients in this salad and they’re all so much better together!! My parents brought us a bunch of clementines from their tree when they were here for the holidays – this salad looks like the perfect way to enjoy them!
Happy New Year, my friend!
Thank you! And Happy New Year to you too Marissa! Clementines always remind of the holidays. So nice to have fresh ones from your parents’ home grown tree! Enjoy!
I’m glad you decided to share! I do love walnuts, so those would definitely be staying but I’m not a fan of blue cheese, so I’d be swapping it out for feta! A crunchy, citrusy salad sounds like just the ticket to kick off this new year!
Thanks Katherine. Yes, blue cheese isn’t for everyone. I find people either love it or hate it. Feta would be awesome in this salad too!
This is just what I need right now Leanne! I’m loving the entire ingredient list and that dressing!
Thanks Mary Ann! This salad hit the spot for me this week. Hope you get a chance to make it!
I like the suggestion of using bleu cheese. I bet I’d love that. Any salad with Clementines in it is good with me!
Thanks Jeff! It had been so long since I added blue cheese to a salad. I’m definitely going to be doing it more often!
Clean out the fridge recipes are the best and you can never go wrong with a fresh n delicious salad, especially this time of year…gimme all the veggies!! And a little blue cheese can’t hurt either 😉 Hope you had a lovely Christmas! Happy New Year! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2019 🙂
Thanks Dawn! Yes to all the veggies too! My body is craving it. I hope you had an amazing holiday season as well. I’m looking forward to 2019!
I love the sound of this! Salads are my go-to for dinner and sometimes those clean-out-the-fridge versions yield something spectacular don’t they? This is a winner for sure–the clementines combined with the blue cheese are making me really hungry 🙂
Thanks Kelsie! The blue cheese is one of my favourite parts about this salad. I eat a lot of salads too, and sometimes cleaning out the fridge really does yield some gems!
I always love adding cabbage to salad for that delicious crunch – so I bet the coleslaw mix is right up my alley! Love that this is a clean out your fridge type of meal. So easy + so packed with nutrition! Perfect way to start January!
Thanks Haylie! This was seriously one of the easiest salads I’ve ever made, and I’ll definitely be eating it on repeat for a while. Happy January!