Citrus Beet Salad with Jalapeño Avocado Crema
WHAT YOU NEED
- For the Jalapeño Avocado Crema:
- ½ cup Cacique® Crema Mexicana
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup avocado (about 1/2 of a medium avocado)
- ¼ cup roughly chopped jalapeño, seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- For the salad:
- 5 small tangerines
- 5 Cara Cara oranges
- 5 Blood oranges
- 4 cups packed baby lettuces, washed and dried
- 4 cups thinly sliced, cooked and peeled beets
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- ⅔ cup crumbled Cacique® Cotija cheese
- 1 small thinly sliced jalapeño

HOW TO MAKE IT
- Place the crema, orange juice, lime juice, avocado, jalapeño, honey, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender. Purée on high until it’s smooth, about 10 seconds. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the oil. Set aside.
- Peel the tangerines and slice them into thin rounds, horizontally. Then use a paring knife to peel the oranges — first slice about ½-inch off of the ends of each one. Then stand them on one of their flat surfaces, and use the knife to carefully cut between the pith and flesh, moving the knife downwards and following the curve of the fruit. Continue until peeled and slice them into thin rounds, like the tangerines. Set aside.
- To assemble the salad, add a small handful of the lettuce to 10 serving plates. Drizzle each one with about 1 tablespoon of the Jalapeño Avocado Crema. Then evenly divide the tangerines, oranges, beets and onions among the plates. Drizzle each with another tablespoon of the crema. Evenly divide the crumbled Cotija among the plates and top with a few slices of the jalapeño. All set, you are now ready to enjoy!
- Cook’s Note (optional): I like using a variety of colors, but feel free to use any citrus varieties you like. You can also assemble all of the ingredients on one large platter to serve family-style.