Spicy Citrus Salad with Black Olives ~ this glorious salad in the Mediterranean tradition is an experience not to be missed. It’s proof positive that not all fabulous salads are leafy and green!
If you’ve never had a salad with citrus and olives, I think you’ll be glad you stumbled on this one today.
These are flavors you don’t encounter in the US very often, but if you are familiar with the cuisines of any of the countries that line the Mediterranean sea, from Syria to Morocco you might have had a citrus, green olive, and fresh oregano salad, or maybe a plate of oranges paired with dates, and mint. Imagine tart white grapefruit layered with paper thin fennel, or berry-sweet blood oranges dotted with sharp feta. The food of this sunny region is lusty and colorful, and no one shrinks from mixing fruit with bold spices and herbs. Today’s Spicy Citrus Salad is a nod to that luscious tradition, and I’ve made it even more fun and colorful by mixing lots of citrus varieties.
I love to use citrus fruit in salads, it’s such a nice way to add a juicy burst of flavor to lots of different kinds of recipes ~
my classic CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD wouldn’t be the same without those tiny Mandarin orange segments, and they’re surprisingly tasty considering they come out of a can! A more unusual example is my ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUT AND POMELO SALAD…pomelo is a large grapefruit type citrus. You can use a little bit of fruit, or go all out like I did with my BLOOD ORANGE AND JICAMA SALAD.
For this citrus salad you’ll want to ‘supreme’ the fruit.
That just means removing the individual segments from the membranes that separate them. It’s very easy to do, you just slice off both ends of the fruit and use a sharp serrated knife to slice away the rind, taking care not to remove too much of the fruit as you go. Then hold the peeled fruit in one hand and slice out each segment, leaving the membrane behind.
Use a sawing motion and a small sharp serrated knife like these to supreme citrus fruit, the serrations help remove the fruit without damaging the sections.
Like all fruit salads, this one is best eaten right away. If you like, you can supreme the fruit and save it in the refrigerator and then assemble the salad close to when you want to enjoy it. Remember to drain excess juice from the fruit.
Spicy Mixed Citrus Salad
Ingredients
- 2 navel oranges
- 2 blood oranges
- 1 white grapefruit
- 1 red or pink grapefruit
- 2 Cara Cara oranges
- 2 cups parsley leaves
- 1 cup oil cured Moroccan olives
dressing
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and taste to adjust any of them. Set aside.
- Remove the rinds and segment all of the citrus fruit. Drain off the excess juice and put in a large bowl.
- Chop the parsley and add to the bowl, along with the olives.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss lightly, and serve.
Nutrition
Notes:
- Don’t skip the large amount of parsley in this salad, it adds a wonderful fresh flavor. And don’t be tempted to use another, stronger herb, like basil or thyme, which would overwhelm the citrus flavors.
- If you are using oil cured olives, they most likely contain pits, be sure to warn your diners.
Don’t forget to Pin this Spicy Citrus Salad with Black Olives!
The colors of this dish are insane and literally jumping off the screen! What a great salad idea.
This is such a great salad, Cara, and feel free to try it using plain old oranges, it’s still amazing that way.
What a beautiful and unique salad Sue. I love the sweet and salty. You’re right, Mediterranean cuisine is so fresh and the combinations are amazing. You’ve made me want to hop on a plane and soak in some of that wonderful sunshine and food. Or, I could just visit you, you certainly have mastered the food part!
I love all the flavors going on here–salty, sweet, spicy, AMAZING! And the colors in that salad! Gorgeous!
What a fabulous salad Sue and the dressing is so unique. I bet it has a bit of a kick. I love this and look forward to trying it soon.
Thanks Vicki ~ a little bit of spice is really a game changer!
So pretty, those jeweled slices of citrus are just gorgeous!
That’s a great description, they are like jewels 🙂
Love that you added the Moroccan black olives to this salad you have lots of great flavor going on here. A winner for sure!
Those olives are a current obsession!
This salad is gorgeous, Sue! I love citrus salads, but I’ve never had one with olives before. GENIUS addition! And I absolutely LOVE the spices you used in here! Can’t wait to give this a try! Cheers, friend!
The olives really do add pizazz, thanks Cheyanne!
I’m definitely not done with citrus yet, so I’m loving this beautiful salad. That spicy dressing is fabulous. A perfect combination with the citrus!
Sometimes I find that the end of season fruit is the most spectacular, I’m always jumping the gun and grabbing it too early! Thanks for stopping by Jennifer 🙂
The colour is beyond beautiful and the flavour amazing!
Slicing into those blood oranges is always exciting 🙂
This combination has me intrigued! I cannot imagine how incredible this must taste and it’s gorgeous to boot! Pinning and sharing 🙂
Try it Tricia!!