This fresh arugula salad with Cara Cara oranges, shaved fennel, quinoa, toasted almonds and creamy avocado with a simple citrus vinaigrette is a delicious, simple spring salad that is perfect as a side dish or light lunch. (gluten-free, vegetarian)

overhead view of cara cara orange arugula salad in a wooden bowl with a white napkin and a gold serving spoon beside it.

March marks the beginning of spring, so it's time for some cheerful spring time recipes, agreed? Agreed. This arugula salad with Cara Cara oranges is just the recipe to get you in the mood for sunny days, warmer weather, and fresh spring fare.

Why You'll Love This Cara Cara Orange Arugula Salad

This salad has all the textures to keep things interesting - tender arugula, juicy oranges, crunchy toasted almonds, creamy avocado and crisp fennel. Yum! The natural sweetness of Cara Cara oranges is perfect with peppery arugula and salty feta, all finished off with a super simple citrus vinaigrette. It's healthy yet filling with plenty of substance from whole grain quinoa, avocado, nuts and cheese.

simple citrus vinaigrette in a glass jar in front of a bowl of arugula and a dish of toasted almonds.

ingredients for cara cara orange arugula salad separated in a wooden serving bowl.

How To Make This Cara Cara Orange Salad

Whisk together the dressing ingredients while you toast the almonds in the oven or on the stove.
Segment the Cara Cara oranges (here's a tutorial), shave the fennel, and dice the avocado.
Place everything in a bowl, drizzle with dressing, and gently toss to combine.

Tips and Recipe Variations

I suggest starting with half of the dressing, then adding more as needed to suit your taste.
Fennel can be shaved either horizontally or vertically! It's easiest with a mandoline, but a sharp knife will also work.
Save the juice that you collect from segmenting the oranges to use in the dressing! (But if you can't that's ok. You can use bottled OJ, too.)
Omit the feta cheese for vegan and dairy-free version.
If you can find them, Marcona almonds are lovely in this salad.
Use any grain you like in place of quinoa, especially if you have something already cooked on hand!

cara cara orange arugula salad in a wooden bowl.

Can This Salad Be Made In Advance?

This salad is best made just before serving. Nothing about it holds up well as it sits in the refrigerator. If you must do something in advance, you can segment the oranges, slice the fennel, and make the dressing, storing them separately.

More Fresh Spring Salads You'll Love

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Cara Cara Orange Arugula Salad

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: salad
Method: tossed
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

3 oz baby arugula
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 Cara Cara oranges, segmented
½ small fennel bulb
3 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
½ large avocado, diced
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)
1 tbsp shallot, minced
pinch sea salt
pinch freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

Whisk dressing ingredients together.
Toast the almonds on a baking sheet at 400°F for 8-10 minutes or in a dry skillet on the stove.
Segment oranges from membranes (here's a tutorial). Thinly slice the fennel using a mandoline or very sharp knife. Dice the avocado.
Place arugula in a serving bowl. Top with quinoa, oranges, fennel, avocado, almonds, and feta. Pour dressing on top and gently toss to coat salad evenly with dressing.
Serve immediately.

Notes

This salad is best served right after it is made.
I suggest starting with half of the dressing, then adding more as needed to suit your taste.
Fennel can be shaved either horizontally or vertically! It's easiest with a mandoline, but a sharp knife will also work.
Save the juice that you collect from segmenting the oranges to use in the dressing!
Omit the feta cheese for vegan and dairy-free version.
If you can find them, Marcona almonds are lovely in this salad.
Use any grain you like in place of quinoa, especially if you have something already cooked on hand!