orange salad with red onion, black olives & Italian parsley
Last week brought some unseasonably warm days to the West Coast and those sunny spring days along with the tail end of of citrus season were the inspiration for this bright and refreshing Sicilian Orange Salad.
Whipped up in no time, this salad makes for a flavor packed weekday lunch, but just as well as a slightly tart & savory side dish with grilled fish or meats {lamb chops especially!}. It's a classic recipe in the Sicilian and Spanish cuisine that really let's oranges shine in all their glory …
the ingredients.
~ 4-5 oranges {navel, cara-cara and/or blood oranges}
~ 1 red onion
~ handful of Italian parsley, chopped
~ handful of black olives
~ extra virgin olive oil
If you can find them, include different citrus variations for added color!
I love Bi-Rite Market's annual "Citrus Bomb"season - and picked up Cara Cara Pink Navels & Navel Oranges from Tenalu Ranch and Moro Blood Oranges from Stehly Farms ...
To peel the oranges, cut off both ends of each fruit with a sharp knife. The flat surface will allow the fruit to "stand". With a sharp knife, following the curve of the fruit, cut off the rind and all of the pith.
Place fruit on its side and cut crosswise into 1/4" rounds, carefully removing seeds and any remaining pith.
Then slice the red onion into very fine rings, scattering them over the oranges along with the black olives and Italian parsley.
Season with a generous grinding of fresh black pepper, sprinkle with some coarse sea salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Buon appetito!
