Description
A refreshing and vibrant Mediterranean orange salad featuring sweet Navel oranges, crunchy pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, and a tangy honey-lime dressing with subtle hints of spices. Perfect as a light appetizer or side dish for any meal.
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. Remove the onions from the water and thoroughly dry them.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and optional orange blossom water until well combined. Set the dressing aside.
- Prepare the serving platter: Sprinkle half of the chopped fresh mint leaves evenly over the platter. Arrange the orange slices and softened onions on top in an attractive pattern. Sprinkle the salad with pinch of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and ground cinnamon.
- Add pomegranate seeds: Scatter the pomegranate seeds generously over the arranged orange and onion slices for a burst of color and texture.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle or spoon the prepared honey-lime dressing over the salad according to your preference. Finally, garnish with the remaining fresh mint leaves. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- This salad shines with fresh, ripe Navel oranges and juicy pomegranate seeds for a sweet-tart balance.
- Soaking the onions in ice water mellows their bite without losing crunch.
- Orange blossom water is optional but adds a lovely floral note; you can omit if unavailable.
- Adjust the honey and lime juice ratio in the dressing to suit your taste preferences for sweetness and acidity.
- Letting the salad rest for 5 minutes before serving enhances the flavor integration.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 149 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 12 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
