Citrus Salad with Kalamata Olives, Mint and Pistachios

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This easy to assemble, no cook salad (or side) is the perfect Winter pick me up.  The jewel tones of the different citrus are stunning and the salty sweet flavor combo of the orange and olives is crave worthy!  We added pomegranate, mint and pistachios to ours to take it to the next level but it is not necessary as the real stars of the show here are the citrus, olives, extra virgin olive oil and flakey sea salt. 

photo of blood orange citrus salad with kalamata olives, fresh mint and pistachios

The Protective Properties of Citrus and Olives

Besides being easy on the eyes, this salad packs a nutritional punch.  As we all know, citrus foods are famous for their high vitamin C content, but they are also full of healing phytonutrients like flavanones, anthocyanins, and a variety of polyphenols.  As we are in the middle of cold and flu season, Vitamin C and other antioxidants play an important role in immune health, all the more reason to eat this delicious salad! The other counterpart of this salad, olives, are also a nutrition superstar.  Olives are a rich source of monounsaturated fat which has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and can help to decrease blood pressure. Like citrus, they are also full of phytonutrients and antioxidants which help to protect our cells from oxidative damage.  They are a good source of vitamin E and have anti-inflammatory properties.  

Balancing Your Bites

We often talk about the importance of eating balanced meals or snacks which in turn helps to balance our blood sugars and regulate hormones.  The olives and olive oil in the salad are the source of healthy fats which helps to slow down the absorption of glucose in our blood stream and keeps us feeling full.  The nuts add both fiber and protein which also helps slow down the absorption of glucose and keeps us full. Adding a protein like chicken, fish, chickpeas (or your favorite protein source) would take this from a balanced snack/side into a full balanced meal.

close up photo of blood orange citrus salad with kalamata olives, fresh mint and pistachios

Citrus Salad Serving Suggestions

You could serve this on a bed of arugula or watercress to get some more greens in, or serve it as a side to some simple roasted salmon or shrimp to make it a complete meal. Even serving it with a store bought rotisserie chicken would be a great and easy, no cook dinner ready in under 10 minutes!

Click the links to learn more about the benefits of citrus and olives.

Citrus Salad With Kalamata Olives, Mint and Pistachios

Yield: 3

ingredients:

  • 1 Blood orange
  • 1 Cara Cara orange
  • 1 Naval orange
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
  • 1-2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • Maldon salt or flakey sea salt, to taste
Optional (but delicious) Garnishes
  • about 1/8 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tbsp pistachios
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds

instructions:

How to cook Citrus Salad With Kalamata Olives, Mint and Pistachios

  1. Use a sharp knife to cut the peel off of the oranges, then cut each orange into 1/4 inch slices (see photos for reference).
  2. Arrange oranges on a large platter or 3-4 small plates.
  3. Top the citrus with extra virgin olive oil, kalamata olives, salt and optional garnishes.
  4. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Blood and Cara Cara oranges are beautiful, but you can use any sweet citrus for this salad!

Calories

184.19

Fat (grams)

11.78

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.58

Carbs (grams)

20.32

Fiber (grams)

4.12

Net carbs

16.20

Sugar (grams)

12.79

Protein (grams)

2.52

Sodium (milligrams)

93.14

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used only as a guide.
Created using The Recipes Generator