Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough Toast

Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough is a light, refreshing salad that’s bursting with bright flavors. It’s perfect for a light meal or served as an easy appetizer.

A Bright Refreshing Salad
If you’re looking for something light, fresh, and a little fancy without breaking the bank or your brain, this Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough Toast is totally on point. Bright citrus, sweet crab, and that perfectly toasty, tangy sourdough are a great combo in this crab salad recipe.
I’ve found it’s great for brunch, a light lunch, a main dish, an appetizer or just when you want to feel like you’re treating yourself without fuss. So many options. Plus, it’s one of those dishes that makes you feel kind of skilled, even if you just tossed it together!
And, this citrus crab salad on sourdough is actually one of my husband’s absolute favorites. Which really says something about how delicious it is, because he is typically not a big salad guy. So, this recipe is a win-win!
What Makes This Recipe Great
✅ Fresh and zesty flavors – The citrus components like orange and lemon add a brightness that pairs beautifully with the sweet, delicate crab meat. It gives it a fresh taste that never feels heavy or overwhelming.
✅ Easy to make but impressive – You don’t need to be a pro chef to whip this up, yet it looks and tastes like you spent hours perfecting it.
✅ Perfect for any time of day – Whether you’re brunching with friends, making a light dinner, or prepping something quick for work, this recipe hits the sweet spot of being satisfying without weighing you down.

What To Serve With Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough Toast
Field Greens Salad
This simple green salad with a homemade balsamic complements the citrusy crab salad without competing with its flavors.
Chilled White Wine
A crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc matches the fresh seafood flavor perfectly.
Fresh Fruit Plate
Keep the meal light and refreshing with a plate of seasonal fresh fruits.
Freezing & Storing Leftovers
To be honest, this salad isn’t great for freezing because the texture of crab and citrus will change when thawed. It is best to prepare fresh or refrigerate only.
If you happen to have leftovers, store leftover crab salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep sourdough toast separate to avoid sogginess, then assemble before serving again.
I often will just make another batch of fresh sourdough toast when serving the leftover crab salad. But, if you have leftover toasted sourdough, here are three ways to reheat:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place sourdough toast on a baking sheet and warm for 3-5 minutes to regain crispiness.
- Put the sourdough slices in a toaster on low.
- Use a toaster oven on low to reheat the bread.

Gluten Free Options
If you happen to be gluten-free, here are a few suggestions on how to serve this citrus crab salad.
#1 Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread – Use a gluten-free sourdough or other crusty bread.
#2 Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps – Spoon the crab salad into large lettuce leaves for a light, refreshing handheld meal.
#3 Stuffed Avocado – Hollow out avocado halves and fill with crab salad for a creamy, satisfying snack.

Recommended Equipment
Tips and Tricks
- While I highly recommend spending the extra money for the lump crab meat, you can use imitation crab as a substitute.
- If you don’t have fresh oregano on hand, you can substitute 1/2 tsp of dried oregano. I have also used fresh thyme, along with the dried oregano.
- For the best quality, I wouldn’t make this salad more than a couple of hours ahead of time. The longer it sits, the more liquid is released from the oranges, which will make the salad watery.
- If you’re feeling inclined, you can make your own sourdough bread. I love this Overnight Sourdough Bread
Ingredients Needed to Make the Citrus Crab Salad
Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card
- Lump crab meat – Fresh crab meat brings natural sweetness and delicate texture that makes this salad shine. If fresh crab isn’t available, high-quality canned crab is a good substitute.
- Lemon juice
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh oregano
- Fresh parsley
- Navel oranges
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Green onions
- Sourdough or other crusty bread – Sourdough is ideal here for its tangy flavor and sturdy crust, perfect for holding the salad without getting soggy fast. You can swap in other hearty breads like a rustic country loaf or whole grain if sourdough isn’t available.
How to Make Citrus Crab Salad
- Start by preparing the citrus dressing.
- In a small bowl you’re going to mix together the juice from the lemon, red wine vinegar, oregano, parsley, zest from one of the oranges, salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Once your vinaigrette is mixed together, put the crab meat in a larger bowl. Make sure you break it up into smaller pieces with your fingers and remove any pieces of shells.
- To prepare the oranges, cut the peel off both oranges. Then cut each orange into quarters and then cut each quarter into thin slices. Add them to the bowl with the crab.
- Toss the crab mixture with the dressing and sliced green onions.
- Finally, slice the sourdough bread, coat with olive oil and broil until toasted.
- Serve the crab on top of the bread.

Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough Toast

Citrus Crab Salad on Sourdough Toast is a light, refreshing salad that's bursting with bright flavors. It's perfect for a light meal or served as an easy appetizer.
Ingredients
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 navel oranges, 1 zested
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for the bread
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (or other crusty bread)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, parsley, zest from 1 orange, salt and pepper.
- Slowly whisk olive oil into mixture, until well combined. Set aside.
- Once your vinaigrette is mixed together, put the crab meat in a larger bowl. Make sure you break it up into smaller pieces with your fingers and remove any pieces of shells.
- Cut the peels off of the oranges and then cut each orange into quarters and thinly slice each quarter, crosswise.
- Combine the orange slices, crab and green onion, then toss with the dressing.
- Preheat broiler.
- Slice bread and drizzle each side with olive oil.
- Place bread on a sheet pan and broil on each side until toasted and golden brown.
- Mound the salad on top of the bread slices to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 761mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 17g
That is gorgeous! I love your photography!
Thanks, Anne!
Wow! Your blog has changed from what I remember. Gorgeous! Love the recipe and the photos!!!
Thank you so much, Patty!!
I love crab. I love citrus. I neve thought to put them together. Yum! !
For the first time in a long time, I’m really missing crab. This would be such a great app for a summer party!
I really want to try this!! It looks absolutely AMAZING, and putting it on sourdough is an extra bonus to me! (I have a sourdough addiction!)
What a stunning summertime dish!
Another stellar recipe!! Lisa — your photography skills are TOP NOTCH!! I wish I was eating this for lunch!
I can’t stop drooling! This is such a beautiful salad and I could easily eat this all the time! 🙂
The citrus in this crab salad is so unique! Love the color is adds as well as the flavor. Pinning so I can make this to share for a gathering I have coming up!
Such a lovely salad, I adore all of the flavors you’ve combined!
What a fun and delicious dish! I love that you can make it as a salad to top greens with, or on bread as an appetizer fit for a royal party!!
Absolutely mouthwatering recipe. Sounds like a great summer lunch
I love the combination of flavors here and your photos are so beautiful!