Description
A vibrant and refreshing Mediterranean Orange Salad featuring sweet Navel oranges, pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, and a honey-lime dressing accented with orange blossom water and warm spices. Perfect as a light appetizer or side dish with a burst of fresh flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 25 fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 6 Navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pomegranate, seeded (about 1 to 1 1/4 cups seeds)
Dressing
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange blossom water (optional)
Instructions
- Soften the onion. Place the thinly sliced red onions in a bowl of ice water and let them soak for 10 minutes to mellow their sharpness. Then remove the onions from the water and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the freshly squeezed lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and optional orange blossom water. Whisk until well blended and set aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Prepare the platter. On a large serving platter, scatter half of the chopped fresh mint leaves as a fragrant base layer. Arrange the orange slices and softened onions evenly over the mint. Sprinkle the assembled salad with a pinch each of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and ground cinnamon for a warm and sweet-spicy note. Then evenly distribute the pomegranate seeds over the top.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle the honey-lime dressing over the orange, pomegranate, and onion layers to taste. Finally, garnish the salad with the remaining fresh mint leaves for a burst of color and aroma. Allow the salad to rest for about 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors combine beautifully.
Notes
- Using ice water to soak the onions softens their sharp flavor and enhances the salad's overall balance.
- If orange blossom water is unavailable, you can omit it or substitute with a small amount of orange zest for additional citrus aroma.
- This salad is best served fresh or within a couple of hours to preserve the texture of the oranges and pomegranate seeds.
- For a vegan version, substitute honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Use ripe, sweet Navel oranges for the best flavor and juiciness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 149.4 kcal
- Sugar: 21.8 g
- Sodium: 11.5 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
