Orange Salad
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This bright and delightful orange salad packs an incredible boost of vitamins and flavor. It’s light, refreshing, and so delicious.
It is a simple and economical side dish that everyone will love.
Got oranges? Here’s a simple way to turn them into a gorgeous salad, especially now that juicy oranges are in season.
A quick citrus salad that is so easy to assemble and great to boost your immune system with a nutritional punch of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
This no-frills salad recipe comes from my mum’s repertoire, and even after eating it hundreds of times, it’s still one of my favorite fruit salads that I never grow tired of.
The oranges combined with olives and onion create an amazing contrast between sweet and savory flavors. The crispy fennel adds texture, and the simple dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, salt, and pepper. That’s it.
Minimal ingredients to make a super fresh combination bursting with big flavors!
If you’re a fan of oranges and love to keep things fresh, you will want to add this delightful orange salad recipe to your collection. Not only is it easy to prepare, but it also makes a gorgeous side dish that’s perfect for any holiday or gathering.
A wonderful boost of vitamin C that leaves you feeling refreshed and satisfied. Enjoy!
List of the ingredients
- Oranges
- Fennel
- Green onions or long red onion
- Black olives
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Fresh mint
How to make orange salad
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Using a sharp knife, cut the skin off and remove the white part of the oranges.
- Slice the oranges, and gently remove the seeds if you see them.
- The slices can be cut into rounds or segments.
- Combine extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
- Arrange the orange slices, sliced fennel, onion, and olives on a serving plate.
- Pour over the dressing, garnish with fresh mint leaves, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Orange salad ingredients
Oranges: Navel oranges work perfectly fine here, but you can substitute them for pretty and more expensive blood oranges if you wish. It doesn’t matter what color you choose, as long as the oranges are fresh.
Fennel: It pairs well with oranges and adds texture, freshness, and extra nutrition.
Olives: Use good-quality black olives and make sure they’re pitted. My mum used to make this salad with Gaeta olives, which are small, soft, and delicious. Kalamata olives are a good option and not so expensive, while I find dry-cured black olives too bitter for this orange salad.
Onion: Long red or green onions work great and add flavor without being too sharp or bitter. I had to use a regular red onion here as I couldn’t find them at my local grocery store, but my preferences are for green onions and sweet, long red onions.
Fresh mint: It’s the final touch that adds color and fresh flavor. You can omit the mint if you don’t have it on hand.
Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, salt, and pepper are all you need for this orange salad dressing. No honey, no garlic, no mustard. Simple and easy!
Orange salad variations & mix-ins
This is a super versatile salad that pairs well with many other add-ins. Here are a few ideas:
- Leafy greens: Add arugula/rocket, baby spinach, lamb lettuce, watercress, or an Italian mix. They all work well with the soft and sweet oranges. I recommend arranging the leaves on a serving plate and adding the orange salad ingredients on top to make it look visually appealing.
- Nuts: for extra crunch, you can sprinkle with toasted walnuts, pecans, or shaved almonds.
- Italian twist: some capers in brine and anchovies packed in olive oil will surely make this orange salad flavorful.
Storage Tips
These fennel orange salad leftovers keep well in the fridge for about two days, stored in an airtight container. I recommend adding the dressing before serving if you plan to make it ahead.
More salad recipes for you!
Check out all of my vegan salads here and sensational holiday salads. Below a few of my favs:
- Beetroot orange salad
- Salad with grapes
- Moroccan carrot salad
- Arugula pear salad
- Beetroot salad
- Winter salad
- Artichoke salad
- Celery and parmesan salad
- Grapefruit salad
If you make this orange salad salad or you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Orange Salad
Ingredients
Orange salad
- 4 large Navel or blood oranges
- 1 fennel, finely sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, pitted
- 1 tablespoon long red onion or green onions, finely sliced
- 10 mint leaves, thorne
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel the oranges and remove skin and pith (the white part), then slice them e into 0.8 cm / 1/3″ thick rounds or half rounds/segments, and deseed. Use a chopping board and a sharp knife to cut them gently without breaking them apart.
- Arrange the orange slices on a serving plate and gently mix with sliced fennel and onion. Scatter with olives.
- Mix or shake the orange dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing all over the salad, garnish with mint leaves, and serve.
