Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 4 navel oranges, peeled and sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 80 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 10 g fresh mint, torn
Vinaigrette
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 3 g flaky sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 191 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 441 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 249 mg
- Calcium
- 74 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 17 mg
- Phosphorus
- 34 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 75 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 48 mcg
- Water
- 124 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Slice the red onion as thinly as possible. Submerge the slices in a small bowl of ice water to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. This removes their harsh bite.
Cut the top and bottom off each orange. Stand the orange upright on the cutting board and use your knife to slice away the peel and white pith following the curve of the fruit. Slice the peeled oranges crosswise into thin rounds.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, flaky sea salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Drain the soaked red onions from the ice water and pat them thoroughly dry with a clean paper towel.
Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping layer on a large serving platter. Scatter the dried red onion slices and halved olives evenly over the top.
Drizzle the vinaigrette uniformly over the salad. Let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld. Top with torn fresh mint leaves if using just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using a sharp knife is crucial for this recipe. A dull blade will crush the orange segments, squeezing out the juices you want to keep inside the fruit.
- Soaking red onions in ice water is a classic culinary trick. The cold water crisp up the cellular structure while washing away the sulfur compounds responsible for their harsh, lingering bite.
- Seek out oil-cured black olives or high-quality Kalamata olives. Avoid standard canned black olives, as they lack the deep, briny punch needed to balance the sweet citrus.
- When in season, swapping standard navel oranges for blood oranges elevates this dish aesthetically and introduces a sophisticated, berry-like tartness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Best eaten fresh; oranges will release juices and onions will soften over time.
Troubleshooting
Onions taste too pungent and overpower the dish
Cause: The onions were cut too thick or were not soaked in ice water
Fix: Pick out the onions, rinse them under cold water, pat dry, and toss them with a pinch of sugar before returning them to the salad
Prevention: Use a sharp knife or mandoline to slice the onions paper-thin, and ensure they soak in ice water for at least 10 minutes
Salad is overly watery
Cause: Oranges were crushed during slicing or onions were not dried after soaking
Fix: Carefully pour off the excess liquid from the bottom of the platter and add a splash more olive oil
Prevention: Use a very sharp chef knife to slice the oranges cleanly, and pat the onions completely dry
Cultural Context
This simple preparation, closely related to the traditional Insalata di Arance, is a staple winter salad from Sicily where citrus groves flourish. It perfectly captures the Mediterranean ethos of using a handful of high-quality, seasonal ingredients to create a harmonious balance of sweet, acidic, salty, and bitter flavors.
