I am one of those weirdos who is obsessed with transforming vegetables into sweet dishes and adding fruit to savory salads. The truth is, nothing beats a refreshing, juicy burst of fruit to complement the kind of food that I make. More importantly, the gentle sweetness and acidity cut through spice and chile heat perfectly. This particular salad is a great favorite of mine, as I am forever zesting oranges for all sorts of recipes and often left with the whole fruit. This is the perfect way to use them up.
Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
- 4 oranges (blood oranges are a great choice, when in season)
- 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- 2 handfuls of green olives, pitted
- few sprigs of mint, leaves picked, rolled up tightly, and thinly sliced into ribbons
- good handful of pine nuts
- 2 pinches of pul biber chile flakes
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- You’ll need a sharp knife to peel the oranges. With each fruit, cut a round disk of peel off the top and base of the orange. Then, working from the top of the fruit downward, cut away the remaining peel and pith in strips until the entire orange is peeled. Slice the orange widthwise into 4 or 5 round slices.
- Arrange the orange slices on a large platter or board. Season well with salt and pepper, then scatter with the onion slivers, followed by the olives, fresh mint, and pine nuts. Sprinkle with the pul biber. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately.
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Cover courtesy of Octopus Publishing
Excerpted with permission from Bazaar: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes by Sabrina Ghayour, published by Octopus Publishing, 2019.