Orange and red onion salad is deceptively simple, with so few ingredients, but you won’t want to stop eating it. The juicy sweetness of oranges pairs perfectly with bite from the onions, a hint of bitterness from olive oil, and coarsely ground black pepper. Some versions include olives and fennel if you’d like to add to it.

I first tried this style of salad at friends in Germany – their aunt had lived for many years in Sicily, and they make it every winter. It’s become a staple recipe for us and I now make it about once a week when oranges are in season (I buy bulk boxes of oranges directly from farmers). The salad is so light, fresh, and colourful, a real boon in an otherwise cabbage and root vegetable-filled winter.

For more fresh cold weather salads for autumn and winter, try my easy vegan coleslaw, crispy roasted lentil orange and pomegranate salad, or this (in Europe, at least) autumnal mango avocado salad.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Oranges: choose a nice sweet orange type that’s in season. Seedless will be easiest but as you’re slicing into rounds, it’s not hard to remove any seeds that might be present.
• Onion: a mild red onion is ideal. I made this a lot when we lived in France with Menton pink onions, which are absolutely fantastic for this recipe if you’re lucky enough to find them.
• Olive oil: a stronger olive oil is very good here if you have one.
• Pepper: to grind your pepper more coarsely, you can twist the metal knob at the base of the grinder (where you take it off to add more peppercorns) to adjust how coarse or fine the pepper is ground. If you only have pre-ground pepper, get some whole peppercorns and grind them with a mortar and pestle, because pre-ground pepper isn’t worth eating.

Step by Step

Step 1: peel the oranges with a knife, removing all of the peel and pith. Cut into thin slices.

Step 2: arrange the sliced oranges on a serving dish with thinly sliced red onion and top with olive oil and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

This is best served at room temperature, so even if you make it ahead and store in the refrigerator, you should take it out to warm up a bit before serving. Half an hour will do the trick.

Raw red onion can be a bit much for some, not only due to the strong flavour, but also causing some digestive trouble. If you find that raw onion is too hard on your stomach, you can try making this with pickled red onions, an excellent substitution.

How to Store

Orange salad can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The onion will taste more mild as it rests a bit, which can be easier to eat for some people.

Expert Tips

• Use good produce: because this is such a simple recipe, it’s worth seeking out the best quality produce for. Only make this with in-season oranges, a nice firm red onion, and high-quality olive oil that you like the taste of.
• Season to taste: a hearty sprinkle of black pepper is key, but the amount of salt you add is up to you. Despite being an absolute salt fiend, I keep it very minimal for this recipe, sometimes omitting entirely. If you can’t have salt this is a very good low-sodium recipe that tastes great without.

More Fresh Winter Recipes

Red Cabbage Orange Salad
Avocado Aioli
Winter Kale Salad
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette