Description
A bright and refreshing Mediterranean orange salad featuring sweet Navel oranges, crunchy pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, and a honey-lime dressing with subtle hints of cinnamon and paprika. Perfect as a light appetizer or side dish to complement 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. After soaking, drain and dry the onions completely using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, and orange blossom water until well combined. Set the dressing aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Prepare the serving platter: Spread half of the chopped fresh mint leaves evenly on the bottom of your serving platter. Arrange the orange slices and softened onions on top of the mint layer. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and ground cinnamon evenly over the oranges and onions to add warmth and depth of flavor. Then, scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle or spoon the prepared dressing over the salad as desired, ensuring even coverage. Finally, sprinkle the remaining fresh mint leaves on top as a garnish. Allow the salad to sit for 5 minutes at room temperature to let the flavors marry before serving.
Notes
- You'll love this easy and bright Mediterranean orange salad—a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors with a hint of spice.
- If orange blossom water is unavailable, you can omit it or substitute with a few drops of orange extract for a similar aroma.
- Soaking the onion in ice water helps reduce its sharpness, making it milder and more pleasant in the salad.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours before serving.
- The combination of cinnamon and paprika adds a unique warmth that complements the citrus and pomegranate beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 149 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 12 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
