Green Salad with Blood Oranges
From The Kitchen · a prep-ahead staple
Blood oranges arrive just when winter feels endless, and this is the salad I make to celebrate them. Sweet-tart citrus against soft greens, a little crunch, and a dressing made from the oranges themselves. It tastes like a bright day.
Ingredients
- 5 oz tender salad greens (baby spinach, arugula, or a soft mix)
- 2 blood oranges (or Sumo, Cara Cara, or navel), peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly shaved (optional)
- 2 tbsp toasted pistachios (or sliced almonds)
- 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese or ricotta salata (optional)
- Blood orange vinaigrette
- Sea salt & pepper
Method
- Pile the greens onto a platter or into a wide bowl.
- Peel the blood oranges, removing the white pith, and slice into rounds — catch any juice for the dressing.
- Scatter the oranges, shaved fennel and pistachios over the greens.
- Add the crumbled goat cheese, if using.
- Drizzle generously with blood orange vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, and serve at once.
Storage: Best dressed just before serving; the components keep separately for a day.
No blood oranges? They're a winter fruit (December–April). Out of season — or if you simply prefer them — a Sumo, Cara Cara, or navel orange is delicious here too: a little sweeter, a little less tart.
Gina's tip
Let the oranges come to room temperature before slicing — cold dulls their perfume, and they are all about that bright, floral sweetness.
A handful of nuts and a little cheese turn a side salad into a light lunch — add a few chickpeas or some grilled chicken and it becomes a full one.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
— Gina