This Moroccan style orange salad with a citrus dressing is so refreshing and satisfying. Beautiful and fragrant, with contrasting flavors and textures, it is a special taste experience.
Fresh Orange Salad (Moroccan Style)
The recipe for this simple orange salad is inspired by the fragrances and flavors of Morocco. If you have visited Morocco, you know what I mean. The smell and sight of orange is everywhere. Especially, the air in the ancient city of Fez smells like orange blossom.
Actually, there is an original Moroccan orange salad recipe that is pretty close to the one here. But because this recipe also has other ingredients in it, I refer to it as Moroccan style rather than traditional Moroccan.
This orange salad is a flavor, taste and textural celebration. You have juicy slices of sweet orange paired with crisp and peppery radish on a bed of mild and soft baby spinach with a light sprinkle of cinnamon.
Then it is topped with crunchy walnuts, salty feta cheese, fresh mint leaves and a generous drizzle of a fragrant citrus-honey dressing.
Orange Salad Ingredients
Celebrate the fragrant flavors of this Moroccan style orange salad with sweet, salty, spicy and savory tastes in crisp, crunchy, and juicy bites.
- Oranges: Choose fruits that are firm, heavy for their size, thin-skinned with a fine texture and full colored. Types of oranges you can try are Navel, Cara Cara, Valencia, blood orange, etc. And try to buy them in season.
- Radish: I chose a variety of colors for radishes. These should be fresh, firm, not wilted and with no cracks.
- Spinach: For this salad, I use baby spinach as it is mild in flavor and soft in texture. Although arugula is slightly peppery, it will also work pretty well.
- Honey: Be sure to choose thick honey. It makes the dressing thicker and adds a subtle flavor. These days you can also get creamed honey in many stores. Try maple syrup for a vegan version.
- Walnuts: You can use them raw or toasted. Substitute with pecans or almond slices.
- Feta Cheese: Use fresh and good quality Greek feta cheese. Goat cheese is an alternative.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: With it’s earthy notes, olive oil gives this salad a very Mediterranean flavor.
- Orange Blossom Water: This ingredient amazingly intensifies the orange flavor of the salad. Orange blossom water is widely used in middle eastern desserts, but in this salad it lends its’ prominent citrusy notes.
- Lemon Juice: Adds extra tangy taste to the dressing.
- Fresh Mint Leaves, Cinnamon, Salt
Pro Tips
- The most important thing is to keep the salad from becoming too juicy or watery.
- Cut the orange slices carefully, making sure not to bruise it, otherwise the juices will run out too much.
- Keep the orange slices in a colander to drain juices.
- Alternatively, separate the orange segments and cut them in half. If using mandarin oranges, you can leave the segments whole.
- You can also pair regular oranges with blood oranges for a nice color variation.
- Layer this Moroccan orange salad just before serving, to retain all the textures.
- Whisk the dressing until thick and pour it just before serving.
- I use orange juice with its pulp, which can help keep the dressing thicker.
What To Serve with Orange Salad
- It goes well with grilled meats and recipes - Chicken Kabob, Lamb Chops.
- Pair it with Moroccan or Mediterranean main courses — Koshari, Feta Cheese Pasta with Shrimp.
- Make it a nice lunch with Sweet Potato Soup or Harira Soup.
Variations
A few suggestions below. I have not tried some of them.
- Vegan: Skip the feta cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Dairy-Free: Do not use feta cheese.
- Nut-Free: Try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
- Other Ideas: Use avocado slices instead of feta. Add pomegranate arils. Try adding toasted poppy seeds to the dressing.
Storage
This Moroccan orange salad tastes best when it is freshly prepared. You can store leftovers in the fridge for a day, but it will not taste as good as the fresh salad. Do not freeze the salad, as the ingredients will lose their texture.
Meal Prep
You can cut the oranges and radish ahead of time. Rinse the spinach and drain well on paper towels until completely dry. The dressing can be made ahead as well. Just be sure to whisk it well until it becomes thick.
Health Benefits
This nutrient-dense Moroccan orange salad is gluten free, vegetarian, egg free, soy free and grain free. It is always good to have some light and refreshing salads such as this one to pair with heavier meals.
Oranges are low in calories and a great source of vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, folic acid, dietary fiber, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. When consumed regularly as part of a healthy diet, they can help with disease prevention.
Spinach provides vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium and folic acid. Regular consumption of spinach may support improved diabetes management, bone health, intestinal health, lower blood pressure, cancer prevention, good hair and skin.
Walnuts are a great source of healthy fats — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and minerals such as — manganese, copper, magnesium.
Extra virgin olive oil is a good source of healthy fats and beneficial phytochemicals.
More Fruit Based Recipes
Here are some of our popular recipes with fruits.
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Orange Salad (Moroccan Style)
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 tablespoons walnuts or almond slices, preferably toasted
- 3 cups baby spinach or arugula
- 3½ oranges peeled and cut into round slices
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced radishes 1½ oz
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Citrus Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice with pulp, from ½ orange above
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water see tip
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Garnish
- 1 to 2 ounces feta cheese crumbled, or goat cheese
- Fresh Mint leaves
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts or almond slices in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for about 7 to 8 minutes until fragrant and golden brown at the edges. Or toast them in a preheated skillet at medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate and allow to cool.
- Slice 3 oranges and all the radishes. Keep orange slices in a colander to drain juices.
- Squeeze the remaining orange to extract 2 tablespoons of juice for the dressing.
- On a serving platter, arrange the spinach leaves, followed by orange slices, radishes and toasted walnuts. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, orange blossom water, honey and salt to taste. Adjust the dressing, adding more honey, lemon juice or salt as per your taste. Tip: Start with 1 tablespoon orange blossom water and increase as preferred
- Drizzle the citrus dressing over the salad and stir lightly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Honey: Be sure to choose thick honey. It makes the dressing thicker.
- Orange Blossom Water: It is available online or at middle eastern grocery stores.
- The most important thing is to keep the salad from becoming too juicy or watery.
- Slice oranges carefully making sure not to bruise it or the juices will run out too much.
- Whisk the dressing until thick and pour it just before serving.
- Alternatively, separate the orange segments and cut them in half. If using mandarin oranges, you can leave the segments whole.
- Storage: This salad tastes best freshly prepared. Store leftovers in the fridge for a day, but it will not taste as good as fresh. Do not freeze the salad.
- Meal Prep: Cut oranges and radish ahead of time. Rinse spinach and drain well until completely dry. Make dressing ahead. Be sure to whisk until it becomes thick. Store salad and dressing separately until serving.
- For more information on ingredients, variations and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.
Bonnie
Wonderful recipe, I keep making it over and over.
Roxana Begum
Thank you Bonnie for your lovely comment :)
Tayler
This orange salad is so full of fresh flavor! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Roxana Begum
Thanks for the feedback Tayler.
Dana
This is such a gorgeous and delicious salad, and it's so flavorful! A hit with everyone!
Roxana Begum
So glad Dana :)
Liza
What an incredible salad recipe! The citrus dressing with orange water is amazing, and I love how it compliments the sweet oranges, spicy radishes and salty feta cheese.
Roxana Begum
The orange blossom is so good in this one.
Cam
This orange salad recipe was the best ever!! So easy to make and really delicious.
Roxana Begum
Yes so easy!!
Cyndy
Had this for dinner last night with our grilled chicken. The dressing was phenomenal and so flavorful. I've been growing radishes so this was a great combo!
Roxana Begum
Thanks, so happy you liked it!