Citrus fruits bring a welcome freshness to late-winter fare
The end of February is the time of year when I become incredibly thankful for citrus fruits. They bring a welcome freshness to late-winter fare, while giving us a foretaste of spring.
A simple salad recipe that enlivens the taste buds
This salad is so simple that it can be assembled in minutes. After trimming and slicing the oranges, all you need to do is arrange them with baby arugula on the plate – then drizzle them with a luscious olive vinaigrette, which spikes the sweet-and-sour orange slices with bits of briny saltiness. A beautiful contrast of flavors that enlivens the taste buds!
Food & wine pairing: Dry Riesling with orange salad
A dry Riesling or a Sémillon would work marvelously with this salad. Both wines complement the oranges in the salad, yet are also able to stand up to the olive vinaigrette.
Blood orange & baby arugula salad with olive vinaigrette
serves 4
active time: 20 min
For the vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (use a microplane grater)
- 1/2 garlic clove – skinned and crushed (use a microplane grater)
- 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 4 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salad
- 1 Valencia orange (or navel orange)
- 2 blood oranges (or tangerines)
- 1 large handful baby arugula (or mâche)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Step 1: For the vinaigrette – Place all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- Step 2: Cut the peel off the oranges down to the flesh. Cut each orange in half, remove the pitch and cut crosswise in 1/8″ slices. Set aside. Divide the arugula onto four plates. Top with the orange slices. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and serve.
I love citrus season for salads like these. What an easy and tasty little salad.
I watched your you tube video on making butter. Loved it! Where can I find the glass jars and dishes that had rubber seal and glass lids with the metal clips.
Hi Laurie! I am delighted you enjoyed the homemade butter video. This is the company that makes those lovely jars: http://weckjars.com/ Have fun!
Do you think thinly sliced fennel would also go here – or better yet, pickled fennel? I am dying to do a pickled fennel and orange salad of some sort.
Hello Mari! Yes, absolutely, shaved fennel would be lovely here. It’s a classic combination with oranges and olives. But I think pickled fennel might be a bit too briny for this salad. Enjoy!
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Looks delicious! I love some citrus in my salad. Thank you Viviane.
sounds wonderful – will try this with some of the blood orange infused olive oil that a friend just gave me, but don’t think I can afford or even find 50-year old sherry vinegar in St. Petersburg.
Nancy, The blood orange infused oil will be perfect here. What a pity about the vinegar though. Aged sherry vinegar is actually not that expensive in the US. Here’s one from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Vinegar-Aged-Years-8-33/dp/B001UOU4Q0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1333150351&sr=8-4 Although I can get the same brand at my local store for less than $10. Bon appétit!
A huge thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments – they always warm my heart!
Another delicious vinaigrette! My favorite salads have citrus as an ingredient so I love where you’ve made it the main component with some simple greens! Great salad!
How do you grate a half garlic clove using a Microplane? I foresee lots of shredded knuckle!
Cathie, No skin is lost when using a microplane grater, I assure you. That magical little tool is made just for this task. Use your finger tips and go slowly if you are nervous, but I predict you’ll soon get the hang of it and grate everything with it… except your knuckles 🙂 Happy cooking!
I just love the combination of beets, blood orange and olive vinaigrette. Can’t wait to try this for lunch tomorrow. Thanks!
Simple yet inviting salad!
We are definitely on the same culinary wavelength! Your salad looks fresh and delightful.
Have a great weekend!
I so agree about citrus…it is like adding sunshine to the plate. And I love the idea of olive vinaigrette…such a lovely idea. Beautiful…as always…
I love it Viviane. So simple yet elegant. The minced olives in the vinaigrette is a nice touch.
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Your salad is beautiful and the flavors from the vinaigrette must make it pop.
Spring is in the air I can see feel it in this salad. It’a a beauty and that vinaigrette sounds wonderful with the citrus and kalamata olives. Very nice.
This is a beautiful salad! I love a salad with citrus fruits.
Sara, Evelyne, Thank you so much!
Olive vinaigrette on citrus, how interesting! Such a fan of blood oranges. Looks delicious.
Gorgeous! That is one beautiful salad – looks so delicious!