Dreary winter days just got brighter with my Easy Citrus Arugula Salad with Shrimp. It's a healthy salad that's high in protein, essential nutrients, and ready in less than 30 minutes! Layers of peppery arugula, juicy blood oranges, quinoa, avocado, and shrimp are dressed with a simple but delicious blood orange vinaigrette that will have your taste buds dancing!

I'll admit, sometimes my greatest tasting salads are inspired by what's about to expire in my refrigerator or pantry. Wait, that doesn't sound too appetizing does it? Ha!
Anyway, last week I had a bunch of arugula and an avocado that were about to become my latest victims of neglect. Caught just in the knick of time, this salad was born.
How To Build A Healthy Salad
In my practice as a dietitian, I will offer my patients tips on how to build a healthier salad. To do so, requires having some key elements at the ready in your pantry and fridge:
- salad greens like this crisp green arugula
- seasonal fruits like these tangy and sweet blood oranges
- healthy fats like nuts or perfectly ripe avocado
- whole grains like this hearty red quinoa
- lean high quality meat or plant-based protein
If you're not sure how to stock a healthy pantry/fridge, make sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON in the side bar, and I'll send it straight to your inbox!
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Lately, I've been buying bags of blood oranges. They're in season, so juicy and delicious! I've been using them in smoothies, salads and even salad dressings!
But, please don't wear your favorite clothes when working with these oranges! Because of their intense reddish blue color, they can be a bit messy and stain.
Don't worry the dressing for this salad is super easy. I use the juice from the blood oranges and whisk it together with some mustard, honey, olive oil and chives. The chives add such a fresh and savory component to the dressing! Delicious!
Time Saving Tips
For this salad, I use shrimp as my protein. Shrimp takes no time at all to cook. You can cook it two ways: grilled or pan seared.
Since it's winter, I used my stove top grill pan. If you don't have a grill pan, you can easily pan-sear the shrimp in a non-stick pan. Either way, the shrimp cooks up less than 5 minutes!
Another way to save time is by using pre-cooked or store-bought cooked grains. The one downside to these pre-cooked packaged grains is that they tend to be very high in sodium.
Meal prepping your grains for the week saves a lot of time and is useful for adding into salads or as an easy side dish.
Salad Variations
If you don't like fish (shrimp in this case), grilled chicken would also work.
Want to keep it strictly plant-based? Use tofu, edamame or beans as your protein source.
Don't have a ripe avocado? Sub in a creamy cheese like goat or feta, instead.
Any citrus fruit will work in this healthy salad recipe! Try navel or mandarine oranges, and even grapefruit!
If you try this recipe PLEASE REMEMBER TO GIVE IT A "STAR RATING" BELOW!
Easy Citrus Arugula Salad with Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ lb shrimp peeled, deveined (tail on optional)
- 6-8 cups arugula
- 4 blood oranges 2 oranges skin peeled and seeded, cut into small wedges (the other 2 oranges to extract juice for the dressing).
- 1 cup red quinoa you can also use white, or multi-colored
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 radishes sliced thin
- ½ cup blood orange juice
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp fresh pepper
- non-stick cooking spray I use avocado oil.
Instructions
- Spray grill pan with non-stick spray and preheat on medium high.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together orange juice, mustard, honey, chives, oil, salt and pepper and set aside.
- Cook the shrimp about 2 minutes per side until just opaque and no longer translucent. Do not overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery.
- In a medium bowl add the arugula, quinoa, oranges wedges, radishes, warm shrimp and half of the dressing. Give the salad a toss. Then add the sliced avocado and pour on the remaining dressing. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.
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Nutrition
I prefer to focus on quality ingredients from a variety of sources that work in tandem to promote optimal health. Nutrition calculations may not reflect these valuable interactions. However, I understand certain values can be helpful to some. Please note these calculations are merely estimates. Values will vary depending on modifications, brands used, and portion size. Should you require specific information, it's best to consult with a dietitian or qualified healthcare provider.
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