Bitter Leaf and Orange Salad With Poppyseed Dressing

Discover how bitter greens and sweet oranges explode with flavor under homemade poppyseed dressing; you won't regret reading this recipe.

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Prepare for a surprisingly delightful flavor explosion with this vibrant salad recipe that perfectly balances bitter and sweet.

We're combining crisp, slightly bitter greens with juicy oranges and coating it all in a creamy, tangy poppyseed dressing that will make your taste buds sing.

Get ready to ditch the boring salads and embrace this simple yet unforgettable dish!

Ingredients

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Okay, so you wanna make this awesome Bitter Leaf and Orange Salad, right? Let's run through what you'll need to grab!

For the salad, you're gonna need around 8 cups of bitter leaves – like endive, chicory, or radicchio. If you can't find those, even rocket or watercress will do! You'll also need two big oranges. Any kind works, so pick your faves.

Now, for the Orange Poppyseed Dressing – this is where the magic happens. Grab 2 tablespoons of apple cider or white wine vinegar. Got it?

Next, 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or a nut oil if you're feeling fancy!), a teaspoon of orange zest, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, a quarter teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of poppy seeds, and half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Easy peasy!

Instructions

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Now that we've gathered our ingredients, let's whip up this vibrant salad! First, I toss the bitter leaves into a large mixing bowl – don't worry if some are too big, just tear or cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Next, peel the oranges carefully with a knife, making sure ya get rid of all that white pith—it's bitter stuff! Then, I slice them into about 0.7cm thick wheels. Spot any seeds? Flick 'em away or segment the oranges if you've had enough of those pesky pips.

Now prepare that fabulous dressing, I'm using a jar since it's shaker-approved. Put in the vinegar, oil, zest, mustard, sugar, poppy seeds plus salt and pepper – then shake, shake, shake until the sugar dissolves.

I dress the salad – not like it's going to a ball, just a light coating-and give it a gentle toss.

Recipe Notes

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If you're wondering what kind of bitter leaves to use, rocket, frisée lettuce (curly endive), witlof (Belgian endive), radicchio, treviso lettuce, escarole, and watercress are all great choices! I actually bought a pre-mixed box from Harris Farms—it's called "Italian Mix," and it has rocket, radicchio, and frisée. This salad, like the classic Caprese, offers a celebration of simple, fresh flavors.

You don't *have* to use bitter leaves, though. Any lettuce will work just fine here; the more interesting, the better! The bitter leaves just happen to go particularly well with the sweetness of the oranges.

Want to get ahead? Prepare your leaves and oranges ahead of time, then dress them right before you're ready to serve it. And remember, as with *all* leaf salads, this isn't really suitable for storing. It's best enjoyed fresh!

Short Recipe Version

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Serving size: 2

Ingredients:

  • 5 oz Bitter Leaf
  • 2 Oranges, peeled and segmented
  • 2 tbsp Poppyseed Dressing
  • 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds

Instructions:

  1. Combine bitter leaf and orange segments in a bowl.
  2. Add half of the poppyseed dressing.
  3. Taste and add more dressing as needed.
  4. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
  5. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (per serving, estimated):

  • Calories: 250
  • Fat: 18g
  • Sodium: 50mg
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Protein: 4g