This fresh Orange and Lemon Salad is a unique citrus salad recipe straight from the sunny heart of Sicily.

Sicilian orange and lemon salad is uniquely refreshing
I found this recipe for Sicilian orange and lemon salad in The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto which I picked up at the thrift store the other day. It was published in 1948, before most Americans knew anything or cared to know anything about Italian food outside of spaghetti and meatballs. In fact the book has a huge glossary right up front to define terms like pasta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta! It’s hard to believe that just 50 years ago these foods were considered exotic.
lemons in your salad?
Yes, there are slices of supremed lemon in this salad, along with the sweet orange. This authentic recipe a direct a link to an old cuisine relatively untouched by outside influences. Nowadays when food is completely international it’s exciting to find ‘old world’ recipes that haven’t been brought up to date to changed from the way they were done for many generations. With citrus growing all around Sicilians used citrus fruit in surprising ways.
what you’ll need
I love lemons, but the idea of biting straight into one is a little daunting. I was surprised by how the olive oil tamed the tartness of the lemon, and my addition of the olives balanced the citrus. This would be a nice unexpected salad to serve with traditional heavier Italian food like spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna.
- lemons
- if you’re worried about using lemons, consider Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and milder than regular lemons.
- oranges
- salad greens
- use any greens you like, I used a spring mix.
- mint
- fresh mint is key to this salad, it gives it an incredible fresh burst of flavor.
- olive oil
- Kalamata olives
- sherry vinegar
- salt and pepper
to supreme citrus fruit
To supreme just means to remove the citrus sections by cutting away the outer peel and membranes that separate the sections. First use a small serrated knife to slice off the outer peel of the fruit. Then slice in between each membrane to remove the sections. This can be done with oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit.
This salad is delicious and definitely a conversation starter! It goes particularly well with heavier Mediterranean meals like pasta Bolognese, short ribs, or risotto.
more Italian recipes
- Italian Wedding Risotto
- Italian White Bean Soup with Sausage Meatballs
- 11 Italian Recipes Everyone Should Know How to Make
- Chopped Italian Salad Recipe
- Blood Orange Spremuta (Italian orange juice)
Insalata Dโarancio e Limone, Orange and Lemon Salad
Ingredients
- 3 large lemons (I used Meyer lemons)
- 3 large oranges
- 1 head lettuce, I used a spring mix
- 1/2 tsp chopped mint, I used a lot more mint, a big handful at least
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, I used more
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- and a splash of sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Peel and section the lemons and oranges. (A sharp serrated grapefruit knife is helpful here)
- Toss the fruit with the olive oil, mint, salt and pepper
- Serve over the lettuce topped with the olives.
I am loving the wonderfully fresh and simple ingredients of this salad. How deliciously perfect!
This seduces me! Not only it looks great but I”m sure it tastes fantastic!