Blood Orange Salad with Olives Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Winter

by: Amanda Hesser

February8,2011

4

10 Ratings

  • Serves 4

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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

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

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!

Tags:

  • Salad
  • American
  • Olive
  • Orange
  • Vinegar
  • Fruit
  • Winter
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Appetizer
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Caroline Lan-Jan Harris

  • Jane Peranteau

  • Maureen Martino

  • ChefJune

  • Hellen Pennell

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. 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. 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 December 20, 2017

How does this salad do if prepared the day ahead??

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. 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. 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. December 7, 2017

Any recommendation as to which type of clementine or tangerine to use? Would Satsumas work?

Amanda H. December 7, 2017

Satsumas would be great!

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. January 26, 2017

This is a fabulous salad. If you have leftovers, add some avocado and it is a whole new salad.

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 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 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. 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 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. January 30, 2012

When did you make it? I served it to guests on Saturday night!

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 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 March 13, 2011

They added pistachios - it was great.

beckycarpenter March 13, 2011

Just had almost the same salad at Franny's on Flatbush. So so so good.

gt9 March 5, 2011

Made a big hit with this tonight.
Nice change.
thanks

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 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. February 22, 2011

Love the repeats!

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. February 15, 2011

Always fun to hear when someone makes a recipe repeatedly!

Fran M. February 5, 2019

Sorry flagged by accident while I was reading comments

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. February 13, 2011

Been there -- I love tangelos' flavor but very punitive!

Blood Orange Salad with Olives Recipe on Food52 (2024)

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