Orange, Red Onion and Kalamata Olive Salad

This Spanish salad of orange, red onion, and Kalamata olives is a sweet and savory delight in the summer, but one can find most of the ingredients any time of year.

Use the best oranges you can find for this salad. Blood oranges make a special treat when available (I used navel oranges for this version.). Be sure to remove as much pith from the side of the orange as you can.

The olives and onion provide a savory balance to the sweet orange slices and raisins in the salad. The nuts add richness and crunchy texture.

When I first stumbled upon a version of this salad, the recipe called for a raspberry vinaigrette. I really prefer citrusy lemon juice over raspberry vinegar as an acidic seasoning agent for this dish. Reach for a top shelf extra-virgin olive oil for the dressing.

Serve this salad with other tapas year round or enjoy as a meal during the summer. ¡Buon provecho!

We served the salad with Catalan Tomato Bread (pan con tomate).

Orange, Red Onion and Kalamata Olive Salad

Servings: 2
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:

3 Tbsp golden raisins
1/2 red onion, sliced thin with a knife or mandolin
3 ripe medium oranges, peeled with outer white pith shaved
1 Tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp Marcona almonds (or slivered blanched toasted almonds) roughly chopped fine
2 Tbsp roasted pistachios
3-4 fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Pour boiling water over the raisins in a small bowl until covered. Place a saucer over the bowl and set aside.
While the raisins cool, divide red onions between two flat deep serving bowls into even layers.
Slice the oranges into 1/4 inch thickness and place them in an overlapping patter around the outside edge of the bowl. Add 3-4 slices to fill the center. The oranges should completely cover the red onion.
Mix lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste). Pour evenly over orange and red onion slices. Allow the onion and oranges to macerate for at least 15 minutes.
Place Kalamata and drained raisins on the orange layer. Then sprinkle the sunflower seeds, almonds and pistachios over the salad. Garnish with sliced mint leaves and serve with toasted bread.