Roasted Onion, Endive & Orange Salad
Submitted by Andi
Roasted onion, endive, and orange salad with watercress, spinach, and a Dijon lemon vinaigrette. Balsamic-roasted red onions add caramelized sweetness to this elegant composed salad.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minBalsamic-roasted red onions bring a concentrated sweetness to this composed salad of peppery watercress, bitter Belgian endive, fresh spinach, and bright orange segments. It’s a study in contrasts: sweet, bitter, peppery, and citrusy in every forkful, all tied together with a Dijon lemon vinaigrette.
Roasting the onion wedges with balsamic vinegar caramelizes their natural sugars and softens their raw bite. That transformation from sharp to sweet is what makes this salad work. You could skip the roasting, but you’d lose the best part.
The vinaigrette uses the juice that escapes when you segment the oranges. That fresh orange juice mixed with lemon, Dijon, and olive oil creates a citrus dressing that tastes like it belongs with every ingredient on the plate.
Chef Tips
- Separate the onion wedges into individual pieces before roasting for maximum browning on each piece.
- Segment the oranges over a bowl to catch every drop of juice. That juice is part of the dressing.
- Cut the white pith from the oranges completely. Even a little pith adds harsh bitterness.
- Toss the salad just before serving. The watercress and endive wilt quickly once dressed.
Variations
- Add crumbled goat cheese for a creamy, tangy element.
- Swap watercress for arugula if you can’t find it.
- Scatter toasted walnuts or pecans over the finished salad for crunch.
Ingredients
Directions
You can omit the step of roasting the onion, but roasting brings out a sweetness that complements the orange and contrasts with the watercress and endive.
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃) (200C).
Cut onion in half and slice each half into 4 wedges.
Separate wedges into individual pieces.
In a bowl, toss onions with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place on cookie sheet, bake for 20 minutes or until onion wedges are browned.
Reserve.
Clean stalks from watercress and toss leaves with onions.
Slice Belgian endives into ½-inch slices and add to bowl.
Wash and stem spinach.
Dry well and tear into bite-sized pieces.
Cut skin and white pith from oranges.
Over a bowl, cut oranges into segments, reserving the juice that escapes.
To make dressing, combine lemon juice with reserved orange juice, add Dijon mustard and wine vinegar, then whisk in olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, toss lemon vinaigrette with onions, orange and vegetables.
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