This Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad recipe has red leaf lettuce, avocado, hearts of palm and grapefruit tossed with a tangy dressing.

wooden bowl with servers in hearts of palm avocado salad

Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

This is an easy to make salad with simple flavors. The dressing is homemade, and it’s a delicious addition to the salad. Plus, hearts of palm are a nice surprise for a salad because you don’t see them all that often.

ingredients displayed for making hearts of palm avocado salad

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • white wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • granulated white sugar
  • paprika
  • red leaf lettuce
  • grapefruit segments
  • canned or jarred hearts of palm
  • avocado

What are Hearts of Palm?

You’ve probably seen them at a salad bar before. Hearts of palm are exactly what they say they are: the very core, or hearts, of palm plants. They have a very mild flavor, similar to white asparagus or artichoke hearts. Their texture is solid and crunchy, but still delicate and easy to bite through.

four photos showing how to make hearts of palm avocado salad

✏️ How to make Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad:

*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

MAKE THE DRESSING:

In a shaker jar, Combine the oil and vinegar with the seasonings. Shake or whisk thoroughly, and chill until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:

  1. To a large salad bowl, addd the lettuce, grapefruit and hearts of palm. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  2. When ready to serve, cut the avocados and add to the bowl. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over all and toss lightly.
wooden salad servers serving salad out of wooden bowl

➡️ Tips and Substitutions:

  • You can use jarred grapefruit sections to save time.
  • Use mandarin oranges in place of grapefruit sections, if desired.
  • Add in sliced almonds, if desired.
  • If preparing this salad as VEGAN or GLUTEN FREE, just make sure the brand of Dijon you are using is considered Vegan or GF. All other ingredients should be okay.
wooden bowl of hearts of palm avocado salad

✔️ Make Ahead Tip:

You can definitely make the salad dressing ahead of time and refrigerate. Prepare the salad with the lettuce, grapefruit and hearts of palm. Don’t add the avocado until you are ready to serve the salad.

bowl of salad with serving spoon

❤️ What I Love About This Recipe:

  1. Although I don’t typically like to eat grapefruit on its own, it’s delicious in this salad paired with the avocado and dressing.
  2. I love a good, make-ahead salad. It makes meal time easier!
  3. I love to add either sliced almonds or chopped pecans to this salad. Yum!
serving of hearts of palm avocado salad on plate
wooden bowl with servers in hearts of palm avocado salad
5 from 1 vote

Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

A simple salad with a tangy dressing. The grapefruit sections are paired nicely with the dressing, downplaying the sour flavor that they typically might impart.
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients

DRESSING:

SALAD:

  • 2 large heads red leaf lettuce, rinsed and dried (tear with hands into bite-size pieces)
  • 2 whole grapefruit, peeled and segmented (cut segments in half if they’re big)
  • Two 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained and cut into ½-inch slices
  • 4 medium avocados, peeled and chopped (don't chop until ready to serve)

Instructions 

MAKE THE DRESSING:

  • In a shaker jar, Combine the oil and vinegar with the seasonings. Shake or whisk thoroughly, and chill until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:

  • To a large salad bowl, addd the lettuce, grapefruit and hearts of palm. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  • When ready to serve, cut the avocados and add to the bowl. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over all and toss lightly.

Notes

  • You can use jarred grapefruit sections to save time.
  • Use mandarin oranges in place of grapefruit sections, if desired.
  • Add in sliced almonds, if desired.
  • If preparing this salad as VEGAN or GLUTEN FREE, just make sure the brand of Dijon you are using is considered Vegan or GF. All other ingredients should be okay.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 1098mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4657IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Saladman says:

    Second time making this recipe, and it was even better this time. I used a store-bought organic spring mix for the greens, If you like a very well-dressed salad, make 1.5x what the recipe calls for. But the flavors are divine!

  2. Missy says:

    This salad was so fresh.  It was the perfect compliment to our steak.  Thank you!