Oranges and Onions Were Her New Best Friends

Oranges-in-salad

 

Yesterday's salad post and your comments made me think of a salad that my friend Annie use to make:

Repost memory from 2010

 

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My friend Annie talked about a salad she had as if it were her new best friend. She described it in detail: the crunch of its voice, its tangy personality, its unexpected freshness and with curiosity, like one, has when one is first in love: She wondered what other flavors it might have if mixed with an added ingredient.

Yesterday late afternoon French Husband, Chelsea and I stopped by Annie's to say hi. As we talked and drank our sparkling water with Pulco Annie jumped up with more energy than a five-year-old and said, "Corey I made the Orange Onion Salad, you gotta taste it!"

Now, that might not sound unusual, offering a taste of an Orange Onion Salad at five in the afternoon but let me tell you in France that is as rare as Martians coming over to visit. I knew at that moment that this salad had to have a real pull on Annie's French heartstrings.

Annie brought out the Orange Salad, handed me a spoon, not bothering to give me a plate. Love does that it makes you do things you would never think to do. I hesitated, doubting briefly the goodness of oranges with onions. The thought of it made me pucker my lips, though Annie's enthusiasm reassured me, I scooped a mouthful. The moment the Orange/Onion combo hit my taste buds I was smitten. "Who knew!" I exclaimed.

French Husband and Chelsea, as if I were Goldilocks, followed suit. We went home and made it for dinner.

 

Orange Onion Salad:

One large sweet white onion, thinly sliced. Marinate it with two or three tablespoons of olive oil, one or two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, Grey pepper with a hint of nutmeg. While this sets aside doing its thing,

Peel and skin, three large oranges peeled, then cut in thirds,

Mix the two together.

Serve as is, or over rice or on an avocado.

(My Friends over at Facebook: Clarice Fox-Hughes adds pistachios, and Mary Marsell-Farrell uses red onions, with raspberry vinaigrette instead.)

Have you had Orange Onion Salad or a variation of it?



Comments

11 responses to “Oranges and Onions Were Her New Best Friends”

  1. This sounded like something we saw on Lidia Bastianich’s cooking show on PBS, so I searched the internet — but apparently Lidia’s own listing for it on her website is no longer online. But I found this version attributed to her, posted by a fan:
    http://sagetrifle.blogspot.com/2010/02/orange-red-onion-salad.html

  2. I make it with oranges, thinly sliced red onions (soak in ice water to make crisp and mild), avocados and good olive oil and rice wine vinegar with lovely Maldon sea salt.

  3. RebeccaNYC

    Another one of my favorites!! Oranges and onion thinly sliced, on a bed of arugula, with olive oil and salt. So simple, so incredibly good. Excellent served with a creamy pasta dish or red meat, for us carnivores.

  4. I have not, but now it is on my list too.

  5. corey I made it the last time you posted and I LOVED IT!!! I shared it with my aunt….SO GOOD. The funny thing is I was thinking of this salad last night when I went to be…as I was first thing of your tomato and bread salad-I love when coincidences happen like that…I love to cook a day late answer to your question I do not like to bake-I have added the variations to the new recipe card….yum yum!

  6. I marinate red onion in sherry, serve on bed of arugula with oranges. So happy you have refreshed my memory.

  7. Chrisophe

    I’ve done the onion and orange salad with raw fennel. Adds another flavor component. I also use my favorite oil – walnut – with all salads, and when I make the vinaigrette I put a little mustard in it. It works with the salad!

  8. This sounds so good! I’ll try it when we can get good oranges again. SusanCC mentioned she likes it with avocado, and that sounds a lot like a salad I love making, with avocado, sweet pink grapefruit, salt and pepper, a touch of lemon and a swish of good olive oil.

  9. Sounds delicious! I’m going to try it.

  10. Sounds wonderful, especially with avocado….
    Ali

  11. This sounds delicious! A perfect summer salad.

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