Blood Orange Salad
Ingredients
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- 4 count blood oranges – peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 count fennel bulb – cored and very thinly sliced
- 1/2 count red onion – thinly sliced
- 1/2 cups oil-cured black olives – pitted and halved
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano – crumbled
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
Instructions
1. Trim the top and bottom from the blood oranges, stand each on a cut end, and slice away the peel and white pith. Cut into 0.5-inch rounds, catching any juices on the board, 8–10 minutes.
2. Very thinly slice the fennel bulb and red onion. Halve and pit the oil-cured black olives if not already pitted, 5–7 minutes.
3. Arrange the orange slices slightly overlapping on a large platter, spooning any collected juice over them. Scatter the fennel and red onion evenly on top, then distribute the olives.
4. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the salad. Season evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper, then sprinkle the crumbled dried oregano.
5. Let the salad sit 5 minutes for flavors to meld, then serve chilled or at cool room temperature.
Blood Orange Salad is a bright, savory-sweet winter salad built on juicy slices of blood orange, whose deep crimson flesh brings a berry-like citrus note. Paper-thin fennel and red onion add crisp texture and gentle bite, while oil-cured black olives contribute a briny counterpoint. A simple drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a whisper of dried oregano tie the elements together without masking the fruit’s perfume.
Rooted in Sicily, where blood oranges like Tarocco, Moro, and Sanguinello thrive, orange salads are a seasonal staple when citrus is at its peak. The preparation is intentionally minimal, reflecting a tradition of letting excellent produce and olive oil shine. Over time, regional variations have added or omitted fennel, onion, and olives, but the essential idea—a lightly seasoned citrus salad served as an antipasto or contorno—has remained consistent.