Moroccan Orange Salad
Sliced oranges with cinnamon, orange blossom water, mint and black olives, served chilled as a refreshing salad or dessert.
Photograph credit: Moroccan Salad by sdostal77 · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Does an orange salad belong in the dessert course or the main one? In Morocco, both. Sliced oranges dusted with cinnamon end a meal, and the same oranges with olives and red onion sit on the table beside a tagine. This version leans to the sweet side, with a light touch of salt from olives.
Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, cutting away the pith as well as the skin, so that the flesh is exposed. Slice them into thin rounds across the segments. The slices look best overlapped on a wide plate. Choose sweet, juicy oranges, such as navel or blood oranges. Bitter ones need a lot of sugar.
The dressing is just a spoonful of orange blossom water, a pinch of sugar if the fruit is sharp, and the juice that runs from the slices. Cinnamon is dusted on top through a sieve. A few mint leaves bring a green freshness.
Chill for 30 minutes before serving. The flavours blend, and the oranges release more juice. Scatter a handful of black olives on top if you want a savoury note, and leave them out for dessert.
Questions About Moroccan Orange Salad
How long does Moroccan Orange Salad take to make?
15 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 30 minutes of chilling, so allow 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
The Method for Moroccan Orange Salad
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Cut the peel and pith from the oranges. Slice into thin rounds, discarding any pips.
-
Overlap the slices on a wide plate. Pour over any juice and the orange blossom water.
-
Dust with the icing sugar and cinnamon. Chill for 30 minutes.
-
Scatter with the mint and olives, if using, before serving.
Worth Getting Right
- Use a sharp knife to cut away every trace of pith.
- Add the cinnamon just before serving.
- A handful of pomegranate seeds makes it look festive.
Serve It With
Tagine · Couscous · Mint tea · Almond pastries
Leftovers and Storage
Best eaten within 2 hours of slicing. Keeps in the fridge for 1 day.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: optional ingredients are counted; part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Moroccan cooking and healthy ideas from Weekly Delight.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
Carrots boiled just past raw, then dressed hot with cumin, garlic and lemon so they take the flavour right through…
Carrot Salad with Lemon
Grated carrots dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and parsley, served cold.
Beetroot, Orange and Feta Salad
Beetroot roasted in foil so it steams in its own juice, dressed while warm, and served against orange, feta and…
Bissara
A thick, smooth Moroccan soup of dried split fava beans or peas blended with garlic and cumin, served with olive oil…
Beet Salad with Orange
Sliced cooked beetroot with orange segments, goat cheese and rocket in an orange and red wine vinegar dressing.
Zaalouk
Moroccan cooked salad of aubergine and tomato reduced down with garlic, paprika and cumin until it is thick enough…