This joyful Watercress Salad is peppery and bright, tossed in a flavorful citrus-turmeric dressing with orange slices, avocado, and red onion. Vegan, GF.
Here’s a delicious watercress salad recipe that we’re making on repeat this winter. Peppery and bright, watercress pairs so well with creamy avocado and citrus (both in season now) and there is nothing like the scent of citrus to bring a little joy into the kitchen. Such a gift! Even on the hardest of days, a whiff of citrus can do wonders for the spirit.
Instead of reaching for the broccoli or arugula this week, why not try watercress? Is it another nutrient-dense cruciferous veggie that is wildly healthy! Watercress is an ancient, tender leafy green in the cruciferous family, similar to arugula, packed with powerful nutrients. It has a very pleasant, grassy, peppery, bright flavor.
Why you’ll love this Watercress Salad!
Flavors that delight the palate. Peppery watercress, fragrant oranges, creamy avocado, red onion, and a turmeric-citrus dressing.
Full of nutrients! This vibrant salad is packed with immune-boosting vitamin C, bone-supporting vitamin K, heart-healthy fats, fiber for digestion, and powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
Quick and easy! Ready in just 15 minutes with simple plant-based ingredients. Adding fresh grated turmeric root elevates the salad, but ground turmeric works too!
Watercress Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Watercress: Watercress is available year-round, but its peak season is between March and September, with the freshest, most flavorful greens found in the late spring through early summer. If you love this salad, you may want to grow it in your garden so you always have some on hand!
- Orange: Zest the orange first, then peel and slice it. You can substitute mandarins, blood oranges, or tangelos.
- Avocado: Look for a ripe avocado that is still slightly firm to the touch.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds a nice punchy kick, but this is totally optional.
- Citrus turmeric dressing: Olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, honey (or agave or maple syrup), minced garlic, fresh grated turmeric (or ground turmeric), salt, and black pepper.
- Optional additions: toasted pumpkin seeds or other toasted nuts, chevre (goat cheese), cilantro or other herbs.
How to make Watercress Salad
1. Prep the orange. Zest the orange first, then peel and slice it.
2. Make the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Taste, adjusting for salt and sweetness.
3. Assemble. Arrange the watercress, orange slices, avocado slices, and thinly sliced red onion onto two plates.
4. Dress the salad. Spoon the dressing over the top of the salads, serving any extra on the side. Watercress wilts easily, so if you’d rather toss the salad, serve it immediately.
Chef’s Tips
- Zest the orange first. It’s much easier to zest whole fruit before cutting into it.
- Find the right avocado. Choose one that is ripe, but still slightly firm. You can remove the stem to check the interior color.
- Soak the onions in dressing. Let the sliced onions sit in the dressing for a bit to reduce their sharpness.
- Layer the salad. Rather than placing a pile of greens onto the plate and topping with the orange and avocado, layer the watercress, then avocado, then orange, and repeat once or twice so that the dressing is evenly dispersed.
- If you prefer to toss the salad, do so without the avocado, and then place the avocado on top.
- Dress the salad just before serving. Wait until just before serving to add the dressing so that everything stays crisp and fresh!
Serving Suggestions
This colorful salad makes a beautiful starter to any meal, or you can top it with a protein for a healthy lunch or light dinner. We love it with our Simple Baked Chicken Breast, Citrus Baked Salmon, or Peanut Tofu!
Meal Prep & Storage
- Meal prep: While most of this salad is best when prepped fresh, you can mix the dressing a day or two ahead of time and store it in a jar in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Similarly, the salad is best enjoyed fresh! However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Watercress is a delicate green that can wilt easily, and the avocado is likely to oxidize. A spritz of citrus (from orange, lime, or lemon) on the avocado can help it maintain its green color, and storing the dressing separately from the watercress can help preserve the texture of the greens.
Enjoy this joyful little salad. May it bring you a little sunshine today. xoxo Sylvia
More Favorite Salad Recipes
After you try this Watercress Salad recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Watercress Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This joyful Watercress Salad is peppery and bright, tossed in a flavorful citrus-turmeric dressing with orange slices, creamy avocado, and red onion.
Ingredients
- 1 orange – zested, peeled, and sliced (or sub mandarins, blood oranges or tangelos)
- 2 ounces baby watercress
- 1 ripe avocado – peeled and cut into wedges
- a few very thin slices of red onion- optional
Citrus Turmeric Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1–2 teaspoons honey ( or maple syrup)
- 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon grated turmeric root (or sub 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric)
- generous pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Zest. Zest the orange and set the zest aside.
- Make dressing. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste, adjusting salt, honey and sweetness to taste.
- Assemble. Arrange watercress, avocado, onion and oranges on two plates.
- Serve. Spoon dressing over salad when ready to serve.
Notes
Dressing can be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Watercress is a tender green; the salad is best consumed the day it is made.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 13.7 g
- Sodium: 156.8 mg
- Fat: 31.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.9 g
- Fiber: 10.4 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
‘Real Watercress’ is different from Cress. Thick, watery stems. I used the real deal for your salad and it was soooo delicious.
Yum, so glad it worked out!
I love this so much. My body just says more more more. Feels so cleansing and tastes delicious!
I love this recipe! This salad is refreshing and light with an incredible Tumeric dressing.
This makes me so sad I passed on the watercress at the International market yesterday! Next trip I am definitely trying this. It looks so refreshing.
Thanks Suzanne! Oh shoot! Yes, next time…and often they have it at grocery stores too. 🙂
I tried fresh turmeric in your Laksa soup recipe a week or two ago. I loved it! This salad sounds amazing! I think my “I’m not hungry” 94 yr old mother will love this too!
I bought too much tumeric root for the Laksa soup, so I roasted the leftover as follows: tumeric root, red skinned sweet potatoes, rainbow carrots, red onion, purple potatoes, rainbow mini peppers, Meyer lemon zest, pink sea salt, Pensey’s Mignonette Pepper blend, and coconut oil on bottom of pan and drizzled lightly over veggies. When it came out, I squeezed Meyer lemon juice over it and confetti bombed it with fresh chopped cilantro and parsley.
It was good hot or cold!
Love this!Thanks, such a great idea!!!
Laura, did you roast the turmeric root whole? or was chopped up with the other veggies?
Cut the size of the carrots!