When every dish on the November table is brown and baked, this salad is the bright one. Blood oranges, grapefruit and Cara Cara oranges are sliced into rounds and layered on a platter, then scattered with ruby pomegranate seeds and torn mint leaves. A glossy honey lime dressing with poppy seeds is drizzled over the top just before serving. There is no cooking, no roasting and no greens — just fresh fruit, cut cleanly and arranged like a centrepiece. It takes about 20 minutes, and it looks far fancier than the work it takes.
Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges
- 1 grapefruit, pink or ruby red
- 2 Cara Cara oranges — use Cara Cara oranges for their sweet, rosy flesh; navel oranges work if you cannot find them
- 120 g pomegranate seeds — about 1 large pomegranate, or use a ready pack of seeds
- 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil — use a light, mild olive oil, so it does not overpower the citrus
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- A pinch of salt
Method
- Cut the top and bottom off each citrus fruit, so it stands flat on the board. Slice downwards around the sides, following the curve of the fruit, to cut away the peel and all of the white pith. The bitter pith ruins the look and the taste, so take your time and cut it away cleanly.
- Slice the peeled fruit crossways into rounds about 5 mm thick. Pick out any seeds as you go.
- Arrange the citrus rounds on a large platter, overlapping them in rows and mixing the colours — deep red blood orange, pink grapefruit, and rosy Cara Cara — so the platter looks like a jewelled pattern.
- Whisk the honey, lime juice, olive oil, poppy seeds, lime zest, and salt in a small bowl until the dressing looks glossy.
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds and torn mint leaves over the citrus. Drizzle the dressing over the top 10 to 30 minutes before serving — not hours ahead, or the fruit will weep juice and go soggy.
- Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, as a fresh side or a light dessert.
Common Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage
Common mistakes: leaving white pith on the fruit, so the salad tastes bitter; dressing the salad hours ahead, so the citrus weeps juice and goes soggy; cutting the rounds too thin, so they tear when you lift them.
Substitutions: use navel oranges instead of Cara Cara; use clementines or mandarins, peeled and sliced, instead of grapefruit for a sweeter salad; use maple syrup instead of honey for a vegan version; use basil instead of mint if you prefer.
Serving ideas: serve as a bright side with roast chicken, turkey, or ham, or as a light dessert on its own. It looks best on a wide, flat platter so the colours show.
Storage and reheating: this salad is best eaten the same day. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 day, but the fruit will soften and release juice. Do not freeze. Do not dress it until just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cut the pith away cleanly? Stand the fruit on its flat end and slice downwards around the sides, following the curve, until no white pith is left. Then slice the fruit into rounds. A sharp knife makes this much easier.
Why not dress it hours ahead? Citrus slices release juice once they are dressed, and the salad goes soggy and watery. Dress it 10 to 30 minutes before serving, so the fruit stays firm and the dressing stays glossy.
Can I use other citrus fruit? Yes. Navel oranges, clementines, mandarins, and even kumquats cut in half all work. Mix at least two colours, so the platter looks bright.
Is this a salad or a dessert? Both. It works as a fresh side with roast meat, and it works on its own as a light, no-cook dessert. The honey lime dressing is sweet enough for dessert and light enough for a side.
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Winter Citrus Pomegranate Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the top and bottom off each citrus fruit, so it stands flat on the board. Slice downwards around the sides, following the curve of the fruit, to cut away the peel and all of the white pith. The bitter pith ruins the look and the taste, so take your time and cut it away cleanly.
- Slice the peeled fruit crossways into rounds about 5 mm thick. Pick out any seeds as you go.
- Arrange the citrus rounds on a large platter, overlapping them in rows and mixing the colours — deep red blood orange, pink grapefruit, and rosy Cara Cara — so the platter looks like a jewelled pattern.
- Whisk the honey, lime juice, olive oil, poppy seeds, lime zest, and salt in a small bowl until the dressing looks glossy.
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds and torn mint leaves over the citrus. Drizzle the dressing over the top 10 to 30 minutes before serving — not hours ahead, or the fruit will weep juice and go soggy.
- Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, as a fresh side or a light dessert.
