Zesty & Refreshing: The Ultimate Citrus Salad with Bitter Greens Recipe for Winter Wellness
As the cold winds blow and days grow shorter, many of us yearn for the bright, vibrant flavors of spring and summer. Yet, winter brings its own bounty of incredible produce, none more celebrated in my kitchen than citrus. While pomegranates, pears, Brussels sprouts, and squash certainly have their place, citrus reigns supreme. My refrigerator currently overflows with juicy Cara Cara oranges, and I find myself constantly reaching for sweet clementines, often consuming more than a dozen a day. This season, in particular, has blessed us with an abundance of truly perfect citrus – the kind that’s bursting with juice, perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and blessedly free of seeds.
My personal quest for the ideal citrus is rather intense. I’m that person at the grocery store meticulously inspecting each fruit, gauging the thickness of its peel, and evaluating its weight for maximum juiciness. A truly great citrus fruit, for me, delivers on all fronts: vibrant flavor, easy peeling, and minimal seeds. Zero seeds are, of course, the dream, one or two are perfectly acceptable, and anything more than five is, well, a test of patience! Beyond their delightful taste, these winter gems offer a fantastic boost of Vitamin C and antioxidants, making them a perfect antidote to the dreariness of the season.
And when it comes to visual appeal, is there anything more stunning than a sliced blood orange? Their deep crimson flesh, often marbled with orange, is simply captivating. Kumquats, with their miniature size and striking color, are also incredibly charming. This particular citrus salad, while firmly rooted in winter ingredients, possesses an incredible brightness and vibrancy. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like spring is just around the corner, infusing your day with a much-needed burst of color and zesty flavor. Eating it truly feels like believing in the promise of warmer days ahead.
The Wisdom of a Salad Master: Annie Somerville’s Fields of Greens
This exceptional recipe is a beloved classic from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville. This book, based on the celebrated recipes from San Francisco’s iconic Greens Restaurant, has stood the test of time in my kitchen. Annie Somerville is, without a doubt, a true master of salads. For anyone who might dismiss a salad as merely a simple side dish, I assure you, they haven’t experienced the transformative power of a truly outstanding one.
Greens Restaurant, renowned for its vegetarian cuisine, has a way of elevating humble vegetables to extraordinary heights. I still vividly recall one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten, nearly a decade ago, at that very establishment: a warm, wilted spinach salad tossed with fragrant hot olive oil. For someone like me, with a notoriously poor memory, remembering a dish so clearly after so many years speaks volumes about its unforgettable quality. This citrus salad recipe from Somerville’s collection carries that same legacy of thoughtful, flavorful preparation, proving that a salad can indeed be the star of the meal.
Embracing the Beautiful Bitterness: A Sophisticated Palate Experience
This isn’t your average sweet or savory salad; this citrus salad with bitter greens offers a wonderfully sophisticated flavor profile that might just challenge and delight your palate. It intentionally leans into bitterness, skillfully balancing it with bright citrus notes. We combine distinctively bitter greens like escarole, watercress, and radicchio, each contributing its unique level of peppery, sharp, or subtly spicy notes. These robust greens are then paired with slices of tart and slightly bitter citrus, such as grapefruit.
To truly elevate the bitter element, thinly sliced kumquats are added to the mix. Kumquats, unique among citrus fruits, are eaten whole, skin and all, offering an initial burst of intense bitterness followed by a surprising sweetness. Don’t be deterred by the thought of bitter foods; when expertly balanced, bitterness can be incredibly refreshing, stimulating the appetite, and providing a clean, complex finish. It’s a flavor dimension often overlooked but deeply rewarding when explored in dishes like this.
The dressing, a simple yet elegant concoction, plays a crucial role in harmonizing these bold flavors. A blend of fresh orange juice, aromatic orange zest, bright champagne vinegar, and light olive oil creates a zesty vinaigrette. The natural sweetness of blood oranges and clementines within the salad provides the perfect counterpoint, preventing the overall taste from becoming overwhelming. While this citrus salad might not appeal to every palate, particularly those sensitive to bitter notes, I highly encourage you to give it a try. You might discover a new favorite flavor combination and expand your culinary horizons!
Light, Healthy, and Refreshing: A Feel-Good Meal
What I cherish most about this incredible citrus salad is its remarkable lightness, health benefits, and intensely refreshing quality. The delicate, uncomplicated dressing allows the star ingredients — the grapefruit, clementines, and blood oranges — to truly shine. It’s truly a “feel-good” food at its finest, providing a burst of essential vitamins and fiber without feeling heavy. If escarole proves difficult to find in your local market, feel free to substitute it with readily available alternatives like endive or frisée, both of which offer a similar crisp texture and delightful bitter notes.
Preparing this salad is not only a culinary endeavor but a visual feast, making it ideal for brightening up any winter meal. The contrast of the deep greens with the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the citrus is absolutely stunning. It makes a fantastic appetizer, a light lunch, or a refreshing side dish to balance richer flavors. So, if you’re looking to add a touch of sophistication and zest to your winter dining, this citrus salad with bitter greens is an absolute must-try. Come back tomorrow for something a little sweeter – gotta keep things balanced around here!
Citrus Salad with Bitter Greens
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Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head of escarole tough leaves discarded, torn
- 1 small head of radicchio torn
- 1 handful of watercress tough stems removed
- 2-3 kumquats seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 blood oranges peeled, pith removed, and sliced
- 2 clementines or tangerines peeled, pith removed, and sliced
- 1 large grapefruit peeled, pith removed, and sliced into half-moons
For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons light olive oil
Instructions
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Prepare Citrus: Trim both ends of the clementines, blood oranges, and grapefruit. Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the peel and all of the white pith from the sides. Cut the citrus into ¼-inch rounds, removing any seeds as you go. For the grapefruit, cut the rounds into elegant half-moons. Set all prepared citrus aside.
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Prepare Greens: Sort through the watercress, keeping the small, tender stems and removing leaves from any tougher stems. Trim the base of the radicchio and tear the leaves into small, manageable strands. For the escarole, remove the outer, tougher leaves and its base, then tear the remaining leaves into large pieces. Thoroughly wash and dry all the prepared greens using a salad spinner. Place them in a large Ziploc bag and refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.
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Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the finely grated orange zest, fresh orange juice, champagne vinegar, and kosher salt. While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the light olive oil to emulsify the dressing until it is well combined and slightly thickened.
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Add the thinly sliced kumquats to the prepared dressing. Allow them to sit for 5 to 10 minutes; this gentle soak in the vinaigrette will help temper some of their inherent bitterness, making them more enjoyable.
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Assemble and Serve: Lightly dress the chilled salad greens with the vinaigrette, reserving the kumquat slices for garnish. Toss gently to ensure all leaves are coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. Arrange the dressed greens on a serving platter, then artfully top with the various citrus slices (blood oranges, clementines, grapefruit) and the marinated kumquat slices. Serve this vibrant and refreshing salad immediately to enjoy its peak freshness.