When I look at this Citrus Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing, I feel joy!
A couple of weeks ago, I set a platter of a variety of citrus slices on the supper table. Eyes lit up. Fingers pointed at each differently colored slice, while questions bubbled up, asking the names of the fruits. And then hands reached in, eager to try each one. We had so much fun tasting and comparing the range of juicy textures and flavors, side by side.
This Citrus Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing resulted from that little platter of citrus taste testing. All that gorgeous citrus was just begging me to enjoy it in a fresh, pretty salad!
It helps to have a super sharp knife with a large blade when cutting the peels from a bunch of citrus. I just cut off the end of each orange, place one of the flat cut edges on the cutting board, and start slicing down the sides.
I love how different each variety’s appearance is. The slices at top center are from a navel orange. Then Cara Cara (the favorite of our two girls) is pretty in orangey-pink in the upper right. And blood orange slices are on the cutting board.
The orange poppy seed dressing is a riff on one that our neighbors/friends served at a dinner during the holidays. I can never pass up a poppy seed dressing, especially one such as this. It’s bright and sweet, plus tangy from Dijon mustard.
I’ve purchased a couple mandolins over the past year, only to return them to the stores, unable to justify the products’ usability with the high price tags. Then I saw this one on sale at Williams-Sonoma online, with user reviews good enough to convince me to give it a try. With a Williams-Sonoma gift card in my pocket, I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity. If you’re looking for a mandolin that works well for simple tasks, is easy to use, a breeze to clean up, and won’t cost a fortune, I’d recommend giving this one a try.
When I look at this salad, I feel joy. In the middle of this white-and-brown January, I welcome all those pretty colors and flavors and textures with open arms.
Citrus Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- FOR THE CITRUS SALAD:
- 3 to 4 c. lightly packed arugula
- kosher salt
- 1 navel orange
- 1 Cara Cara orange
- 1 blood orange
- 1 clementine
- a few very thin slices of red onion
- ½ c. whole salted cashews
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 T. minced fresh parsley
- FOR THE ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING:
- ⅓ c. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ c. freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange juice
- 3 T. honey
- 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ T. finely chopped red onion
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. poppy seeds
Instructions
- FOR THE CITRUS SALAD: Place the arugula on a large plate or small platter. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. If desired, drizzle some of the prepared orange poppy seed dressing over the arugula. Or just serve the dressing on the side. Cut the peels off of the citrus and slice into 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick rounds, removing any seeds. Arrange citrus rounds across the arugula. Tuck in some onion slices. Sprinkle cashews over the top, followed by black pepper and parsley.
- FOR THE ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING: Place all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl with tall sides. Blend with an immersion blender until thickened and smooth. Add poppy seeds and stir to combine. Drizzle some of the dressing over the bed of arugula before adding the citrus to the salad, or just serve the dressing in a small bowl alongside the salad, for individual use. I like to add a couple pinches of additional poppy seeds to the top of the dressing right before serving.
Love the colorful salad, and the orange poppy seed dressing sounds
yummy.
Those oranges just put me over the edge!
i don’t have an immersion blender, will a regular blender, hand mixer or whisk work? also, for those who don’t love arugula can another green be substituted or added? thanks
Hi Kim! If you can whisk vigorously enough, you could get this to emulsify – just get the onion as finely minced as you can. I just find that the immersion blender does it so well – it helps to smooth out the bits of onion, which also helps to thicken the dressing. I haven’t tried a regular blender, but definitely think it’s worth a shot.
This looks absolutely wonderful! I was wondering how many poppy seeds to add to the dressing. Is it more of a personal preference? About how much did you use? I am not a cook by nature so I follow recipes religiously. :) Thanks!
So sorry about that omission, Janae. I just updated the recipe. Thank you so much!
I love Cara Cara oranges, too, and blood oranges are always a gorgeous addition! What a lovely salad to brighten up a dreary winter’s day!
Thank you so much, Liz. If only we could enjoy these beautiful oranges all year ’round!
One of my goals this year is to get back to reading and commenting on the blogs I follow. Though I do read and enjoy your newsletters when they arrive in my inbox, I did not visit much here over the past year. So…I’m baaack :)
How refreshing does this citrus salad look! A surefire way to chase away any blues that the dead of winter can bring on.
Paula! How lovely to hear from you again!!!! Here’s to 2016!
I have been eying this gorgeous salad since you posted it. It’s a beauty! I love citrus season so much!
Thanks a bunch, Aggie! Hope you’re having a most lovely weekend!
Simply stunning! Love all the citrus!
Thank you, Tieghan. Happy Weekend to you!
I love everything about this salad!
Thank you, Julie! :)