Description
A refreshing Mediterranean orange salad featuring sweet Navel oranges, crunchy pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint, all elevated by a honey-lime dressing with a hint of orange blossom water. This bright and easy salad is perfect as a light side or appetizer 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. After soaking, drain and dry the onions completely using a paper towel.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and orange blossom water until well combined. Set the dressing aside.
- Prepare the serving platter: Arrange half of the chopped fresh mint leaves evenly on the platter. Then layer the orange slices and softened onions on top. Sprinkle the salad evenly with a pinch of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and ground cinnamon for added flavor.
- Add pomegranate seeds: Scatter the pomegranate seeds evenly over the salad.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle or spoon the prepared dressing over the salad as desired. Finally, top with the remaining fresh mint leaves. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh but can be chilled for up to 1 hour before serving.
- If orange blossom water is unavailable, you can omit it or substitute with a small splash of orange juice for similar aroma.
- For a vegan version, replace honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Use sweet Navel oranges for the best flavor balance between sweetness and acidity.
- Soaking onions in ice water softens their bite and adds a crisp texture.
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
