Walnut Orange Salad

This orange salad does something clever with its dressing: there isn’t one in the traditional sense. The oranges get supremed, drizzled with honey and cinnamon, then left to sit for at least an hour. During that time they release their natural juices, which combine with the honey to become a sweet, fragrant citrus dressing that gets poured over the salad at the last minute.

The one-hour maceration is what makes the whole salad work. Raw orange segments tossed into a salad taste fine, but marinated orange segments with honey-cinnamon juice taste extraordinary. That resting time lets the cinnamon bloom and the honey dissolve into the citrus juice, creating something more complex than any of those elements alone.

Mixed greens, thinly sliced purple onion, radishes, and toasted walnuts form the base, dressed simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The peppery radishes and sharp onion stand up to the sweet oranges without competing, and the toasted walnuts add a rich crunch that ties the whole bowl together.

Chef Tips

• Remove all membrane from the orange segments. The white pith is bitter and ruins the clean, sweet flavor. Take the time to do this properly with a sharp serrated knife.
• Squeeze the leftover membrane over the oranges. There’s a surprising amount of juice trapped in there. Don’t waste it.
• Toast the walnuts before adding. Raw walnuts taste flat and slightly tannic. Toasting brings out their oils and gives them a deeper, nuttier crunch.
• Add the oranges and juice at the very last moment. The acid wilts the greens quickly, so toss and serve immediately.

Variations

• Blood oranges when in season give this salad a stunning deep red color and a slightly more tart, berry-like flavor.
• Crumbled goat cheese adds a creamy, tangy element that pairs beautifully with the sweet oranges and bitter greens.
• Arugula base: Swap the mixed greens for all arugula for a more peppery salad that pushes back harder against the sweet fruit.