Lessons by salad: first edition.
Lesson one: it’s never too late to pile a bunch of unexpected ingredients on top of lettuce and call it a salad. People might look at you wide-eyed, annoyed, and a little excited — and that’s part of the fun. That said, timing matters: eating something this dramatic while watching an intense TV finale might not be your best idea.
Lesson two: anything placed on greens somehow becomes justified. Want to slice pizza onto a bed of lettuce? Go for it. Slice a cheeseburger in half and serve it over greens? Do it. If what you add includes more vegetables, you earn extra points — both for flavor and for wellness.
Lesson three: I can’t segment citrus to save my life. I should probably learn to do it properly — patience is useful — but for now I embrace the imperfect pieces. They still add bright, juicy bites to a salad.
Lesson four: oat croutons changed everything last week.
No joke — I’m obsessed with these oat croutons. They’re really more like clusters: crunchy, toasty bits made from oats, nuts and seeds. Calling them croutons just feels right. I first spotted a similar idea in Donna Hay and have been dreaming about how to use them ever since. She put them on a Caesar; I wanted something seasonal and lighter.
Oat croutons with thin garlic slices, toasted almonds and sunflower seeds — are they even real? They blew me away.
What else is on this salad? A black pepper buttermilk drizzle. I’m not a huge pepper fanatic — big peppercorns stress me out — but a finely balanced drizzle with tangy buttermilk and a little bite works beautifully here.
The rest of the salad is simple and satisfying: ripe avocado, paper-thin red onion and soft, crunchy butter lettuce. Have I mentioned my love for butter lettuce? It’s my top pick for salads, though I often mix in spring greens for variety and nutrients.
There’s a lot happening here, but it all comes together: sweet, tangy, peppery and crunchy. This salad feels like a bridge between winter and spring — bright citrus and creamy avocado with toasty oat clusters for contrast. If the season can’t decide what it wants to be, at least your plate can.
Avocado Citrus Crunch Salad with Oat Croutons and Buttermilk Drizzle
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Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cups torn butter lettuce
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 grapefruit, segmented
- 1 navel orange, segmented
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
oat croutons
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper buttermilk drizzle
- 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoons pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Arrange lettuce, avocado, grapefruit, orange and onion evenly on two plates. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the buttermilk dressing over the salad and finish with the oat croutons.
oat croutons
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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In a bowl, combine oats, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, garlic slices, salt and pepper. Add maple syrup and olive oil, tossing until everything is evenly moistened. Spread the mixture on a nonstick baking sheet and bake 15–20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden. Let cool completely, then break into clusters and sprinkle over the salad.
black pepper buttermilk drizzle
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Whisk together all drizzle ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, then drizzle over the assembled salad.
Notes
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