Sicilian Blood Orange and Red Onion SaladBlood oranges serve as the basis for this refreshing mid-winter salad, a classic in Sicily.

“Dolcissimi!” is the cry vendors use to hawk sweet blood oranges at the daily winter market in Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Pomologist David Karp, who wrote about the fruit in our January/February 1999 issue, says of this simple salad: “It’s perhaps the most classic dish made with Sicilian citrus, a favorite in both the trattorias and home kitchens of the region.” Make sure to use the ripest blood oranges you can find—they’re the star of this show.

  • Serves

    4

Ingredients

  • 8 medium blood oranges (about 3 lb.)
  • 2 small red onions, halved and thinly sliced against the grain (about 1 cup)
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Step 1

Using a sharp paring knife, remove and discard the skin and as much pith as possible from the oranges. Slice the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then arrange on a serving platter. Scatter with onion slices, then season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature.
  1. Using a sharp paring knife, remove and discard the skin and as much pith as possible from the oranges. Slice the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then arrange on a serving platter. Scatter with onion slices, then season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature.
Recipes

Sicilian Blood Orange and Red Onion Salad

Blood oranges serve as the basis for this refreshing mid-winter salad, a classic in Sicily.

  • Serves

    4

Sicilian Blood Orange and Red Onion Salad
MAURA MCEVOY

By SAVEUR Editors


Updated on December 23, 2023

“Dolcissimi!” is the cry vendors use to hawk sweet blood oranges at the daily winter market in Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Pomologist David Karp, who wrote about the fruit in our January/February 1999 issue, says of this simple salad: “It’s perhaps the most classic dish made with Sicilian citrus, a favorite in both the trattorias and home kitchens of the region.” Make sure to use the ripest blood oranges you can find—they’re the star of this show.

Ingredients

  • 8 medium blood oranges (about 3 lb.)
  • 2 small red onions, halved and thinly sliced against the grain (about 1 cup)
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Step 1

Using a sharp paring knife, remove and discard the skin and as much pith as possible from the oranges. Slice the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then arrange on a serving platter. Scatter with onion slices, then season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature.
  1. Using a sharp paring knife, remove and discard the skin and as much pith as possible from the oranges. Slice the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, then arrange on a serving platter. Scatter with onion slices, then season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature.

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