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Three white scalloped plates with Whole Orange Balsamic Arugula Salad on a white tablecloth.

Whole Orange Balsamic Arugula Salad Recipe

Naturally oil-free and SOS-free, this whole orange balsamic arugula salad is rich tasting and bursts with bright, bold flavors.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Dressing, Salad
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean, Spanish
Diet: SOS Free, Vegan, WFPB
Servings: 8 cups

Tools Used in this Recipe

  • salad spinner
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef Knife
  • hand (immersion) blender & cup or standard blender
  • paper towel
  • large prep bowl or salad serving bowl
  • salad servers or Tongs

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 small navel oranges
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard*
  • 3 tbls balsamic vinegar

Salad

  • 2 small navel oranges
  • 6 cups arugula washed and dried
  • 8 large romaine lettuce leaves washed and dried
  • 1/2 red onion

Instructions

Dressing

  • Cut of the hard stem end of the garlic clove(s), then cut horizontally through the clove, and remove the germ in the center of the clove as it tends to be bitter. (see photo #1).
  • Peel all 4 oranges, slice into 1/4 in rounds, then into wedges. The wedges from two of the oranges will be used in the dressing and can go in the blender cup. Wedges from the other 2 oranges can go in the salad bowl. For plating, you can also set aside a few of the wedges for each plate on top of the dressed salad to preserve the bright orange color on the finished salad.
  • Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the blender cup.
  • Wrap a paper towel around the top of the blender cup and around the blender arm so it doesn’t splatter out.
  • Start to blend with a pulsing mode (on for a few seconds, off, and on again). Continue to blend until smooth. Taste it to see if it needs anything. When tasting keep in mind the the orange wedges in salad will add an extra brightness and sweetness.

Salad

  • Stack the romaine leaves and cut into ribbons crosswise. If the romaine lettuce leaves are really large, make one or two cuts lengthwise first, then into ribbons. Place in salad bowl
  • Add the washed and dried arugula into the bowl.
  • Slice the red onion by knife or use a hand mandoline and slice right into the bowl.
  • Add the orange wedges to the greens in the bowl.
  • Pour about 1/3 of the dressing around the inside rim of the bowl and mix in with tongs or your incredibly clean hands. Pouring around the rim as opposed to directly on the greens gives a more even distribution of the dressing. Taste it and add more dressing as needed to your liking.
  • You can leave the salad in the bowl and serve family style or plate up individually. Add the undressed orange wedges for brightness if you set some aside.

Notes

SOS Free Version: Select a salt-free mustard for SOS free version. Westbrae brand offers a no salt added mustard and is widely available.