Winter

Blood Orange Salad with Olives

by:
February  8, 2011
4
10 Ratings
Blood Orange Salad with Olives
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I love a salad that I can assemble and dress on a plate. This is a classic salad -- a bit of brine, some slivers of onion, and a little kick of chile -- with a few modern touches like blood oranges and piment d'espelette. Serve as the first course for a dinner party. Follow with roasted fish or grilled lamb. And let the wine flow. —Amanda Hesser

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 blood oranges
  • 2 clementines or mandarins
  • About 1/4 small red onion
  • 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons best quality olive oil
  • 8 to 10 green olives, pitted and torn into quarters
  • Piment d'espelette (or other ground chile, like cayenne), to taste
  • Flaky sea salt, like Maldon
Directions
  1. Cut the peel and pith from the oranges and clementines, making sure to remove all of the outer membrane without losing too much of the flesh. Cut the oranges and clementines into 1/8-inch slices. Slice the red onion thinly enough that you can see through the slices; use a mandoline if needed. You will need about 8 slices.
  2. Arrange the citrus in overlapping slices on each of four plates. Disperse the sliced onion on top. Sprinkle with the vinegar, 1 teaspoon per plate. Drizzle the olive oil over each plate, about 1/2 tablespoon per plate. Divide the olives among the plates. Sprinkle with piment d'espelette, a generous pinch per plate. Season each salad with salt. Admire all the colors, then serve!
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Amanda Hesser

Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

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29 Reviews

Caroline L.
Caroline L. December 25, 2018
This was a hit at the Xmas Eve table this year! I made it ahead without the salt, olive oil and vinegar, and it came out great! Will definitely be a staple on our Xmas menu! The colors were beautiful and paired well with the rich meats we served with it.
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. December 29, 2018
So glad you liked it, and thanks for reminding me about this recipe. Somehow it fell off my holiday cooking menu -- ack!
 
jamie
jamie December 20, 2017
How does this salad do if prepared the day ahead??
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. December 20, 2017
It still tastes good but once the fruit is cut and salt is added, the juices are drawn out so it can get a bit soupy.
 
Jane P.
Jane P. December 11, 2017
The comments are so helpful! I couldn't find clementines, and the comments said no big deal! Use grapefruit or tangerines or etc. Or no olives? No problem. Or no red onion? No problem. Plus, you could try adding pistachios or avocado. I always check the comments, and I'm always glad I did. Thanks to all.
 
Jane P.
Jane P. December 11, 2017
The comments are so helpful! I couldn't find clementines, and the comments said no big deal! Use grapefruit or tangerines or etc. Or no olives? No problem. Or no red onion? No problem. Plus, you could try adding pistachios or avocado. I always check the comments, and I'm always glad I did. Thanks to all.
 
Maureen M.
Maureen M. December 7, 2017
Any recommendation as to which type of clementine or tangerine to use? Would Satsumas work?
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. December 7, 2017
Satsumas would be great!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune December 7, 2017
So glad to be reminded of this great salad. I'm serving Cassoulet for Christmas dinner, and think this will be the perfect palate cleanser before dessert.
 
Hellen P.
Hellen P. January 26, 2017
This is a fabulous salad. If you have leftovers, add some avocado and it is a whole new salad.
 
Rafaella
Rafaella February 25, 2014
It's a nice idea to vary the citrus combination. I will try it out soon. I love this kind of salads, I have a similar one (http://www.rafaellasargi.com/my-stories/2014/2/20/orange-and-radish-salad) but with radishes and green onions.
 
Phylora
Phylora February 23, 2014
This is so good. We just loved the combination of the flavors. Who would've thunk olives and citrus? and the cayenne brings it home.
 
Gennarino
Gennarino February 24, 2012
My wife just does not like tartness so I augmented this recipe with balsamic glaze instead of the vinegar, sweetened it up a bit and she loved it.
 
Le P.
Le P. February 20, 2012
I just made this for dinner to accompany grilled lamb. Somehow, I forgot to add the red onion, but omg… Yum! A taste explosion in my mouth. Thanks, Amanda, for the combo!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen January 30, 2012
I varied the citrus for a play on the color: On each plate I had a slice of blood orange, one of cara cara and one of white grapefruit with castelvetrano olives and red onion slivers, using Nudo's olive oil with mandarins. My company LOVED this. Thanks, Amanda for such an elegant salad!
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. January 30, 2012
When did you make it? I served it to guests on Saturday night!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen January 30, 2012
Both Saturday and Sunday....and I will serve it again on Tuesday with Sonali aka the Foodie Physician's Moroccan chicken! The citrus really brighten up the season so much.
 
sheimoon
sheimoon January 27, 2012
did not have olives on hand but the dish worked beautifully just the same. great refresher after roasted sea bass with charmoula and a yogurt/lime/cilantro sauce.
 
beckycarpenter
beckycarpenter March 13, 2011
They added pistachios - it was great.
 
beckycarpenter
beckycarpenter March 13, 2011
Just had almost the same salad at Franny's on Flatbush. So so so good.
 
gt9
gt9 March 5, 2011
Made a big hit with this tonight.
Nice change.
thanks
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. March 5, 2011
Great! I like that it's such a simple twist and people are always delighted by oranges in a savory scenario.
 
JaneinWellesley
JaneinWellesley February 22, 2011
So many distinct flavors that work so well together -- and visually exquisite. I never had blood oranges before, so this was all such a treat. I made it twice in 3 days, and just loved everything about it. I now have several blood oranges and mandarins in the fridge and will make it a couple more times in the next week or so. Thank you!
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. February 22, 2011
Love the repeats!
 
Fran M.
Fran M. February 15, 2011
I thought this salad was wonderful, I would never have put oranges and olives together I have made this 3 X and can't wait to try this one on a couple of good friends. I LOVED it. I had decided to try this because I bought some oranges and they were a little bitter and were not being eaten so I thought either they would go rotten and get thrown out. I might just as well try this salad first. Wow am I glad I did.
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. February 15, 2011
Always fun to hear when someone makes a recipe repeatedly!
 
Fran M.
Fran M. February 5, 2019
Sorry flagged by accident while I was reading comments
 
brownh0rnet
brownh0rnet February 13, 2011
Delicious! Although I tried to be cheap and use tangelos instead of the clementimes and they were a nightmare to cut and were very seedy.
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. February 13, 2011
Been there -- I love tangelos' flavor but very punitive!