There’s no doubt that some winter salads can be dull but that is not the case with this Orange, Spinach and Pomegranate Salad. Brighten your winter meals with this beautiful, healthy citrus salad. The vibrant colours of the salad are an indication of the flavour when we eat it. Enjoy it as an accompaniment to most main meals or as a light luncheon. Sprinkled with ruby-red jewels, this delicious salad will delight the senses.
Cut the onion into thin, half-moon slices and place into a bowl of iced water*.
Wash and thoroughly dry the baby spinach leaves. I remove the stems of the spinach leaves but this is optional. Arrange the spinach on a large serving platter.
Cut off each end of the oranges with a sharp knife. Sit the flat end of an orange on a chopping board and carefully run the knife down the orange and remove the peel and any of the white pith which may still be attached. Cut across the oranges into ½ cm/ ¼“ slices.
Place the orange slices on the spinach, including any juice they may have released.Drain the onion slices and dry them thoroughly. Add them to the sliced orange. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the orange slices and add the mint leaves.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the salad just before serving*.
Add some sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to the salad and serve.
Notes
*I have used navel oranges; they are seedless, sweet and juicy. Blood oranges would be an excellent alternative.*To extract the arils, cut the fruit in half and place the cut side on the palm of your hand. Whilst holding your hand over a bowl, splay your fingers and firmly tap the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon. The arils will fall through your fingers into the bowl.*Many people do not like raw onion so I soak the slices in iced water to crisp them and mellow their flavour.*I have used pure maple syrup not maple flavoured syrup.*I like to add Maldon sea salt flakes for texture and flavour. However, regular sea salt will be fine. *There is not a large amount of dressing; it is not necessary as the oranges are very juicy.