Avocado and blood orange salad

The first time I made Mother's Day brunch (or at least remembered it!), I was maybe my first or second year of college. And I do definitely remember being super excited to make it. I made a homemade spinach quiche, brown sugar bacon + a chocolate pudding pie. Oh man, it was so good. 

This year I'm planning to make Mother's Day brunch once again + I'm honestly kind of giddy about it like I was then. I'm not sure what I'm going to make yet, but something with avocados + bacon is kind of guaranteed.

But if you're also not sure what to make, here's a simple but colorful salad that's perfect for Mother's Day brunch.

I'm not sure what it is about blood oranges, but I really dig them. They have the color thing going for them, sure, but also the perfect combination between bitter + sweet. With creamy avocado + sharp manchego, this salad has a great mix of textures ready to impress. Let me know if you try it out, the recipe is below!

Avocado and blood orange salad (for 2 servings)

• 1 blood orange, segmented

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup manchego cheese, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon walnuts, roughly chopped

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• Olive oil

• Salt

1. On each plate, layer the blood orange segments, avocado + manchego cheese. Start with the avocado, since it tends to be delicate. Blood orange tends to taint the color of cheese + avocado, so it's better to assemble on your serving plate versus mixing everything together in one bowl.

2. Top the salad with the chopped walnuts. Remove the thyme leaves from their stems + sprinkle over the salad.

3. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil + a sprinkle of salt. Enjoy right away so the avocado stays vibrant.