Simple Orange, Pistachio & Parsley Salad
We learned how to make this salad during the first couple of weeks of cooking school. Looking back on it, the point was to focus on the technique of segmenting citrus BUT it turned out to be a great lesson on how you don’t need much else when a dish is built on simple, fresh and in-season ingredients.
This is one of the easiest salads out there and quite frankly, it doesn’t really even need a recipe. I wanted to share it though, because I love how it really highlights seasonal citrus (the best is January-April for citrus!). I used Cara Cara and Navel oranges for this version, but it would be delicious with blood oranges, tangerines or even some grapefruit scattered in.
Since there are minimal ingredients used, you want to make sure to use as high quality ingredients as possible. That includes really good extra virgin olive oil (I love California Olive Ranch and Capezzana) and a good quality sea salt (my favorite is Maldon). This salad makes a great side for a meal or a nice mid-day snack.
Serves 4 (as a side)
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled
5 oranges, segmented
Fresh parsley leaves
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
Pre-heat your oven to 350° F.
Place the pistachios on a sheet tray and toast in the oven for about 8-12 minutes, or until slightly golden in color and fragrant. Allow them to cool and then give them a rough chop.
Assemble your salad: Place a layer of the segmented oranges on the plate. Layer with fresh parsley leaves. Finish with the roasted pistachio pieces, a big sprinkle of sea salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil.