blood orange salad with a citrus vinaigrette

With their amazing colors blood oranges are stunning in a red leaf lettuce salad.  I love the combination of  walnuts, fresh herbs, crisp sliced baby Persian cucumbers and French radishes in addition to the blood orange segments in a leafy salad dressed with a citrus vinaigrette.  The option of a citrus juice marinated round of soft goat cheese nestled in the salad is quite nice as well.  There are many ways to play around with variations to this bright crispy salad, I would try substituting various fresh herbs 🌿 as the weather warms up and we have more choices in the herb garden.  Life at times is good at home even during Covid and quarantine.

Ingredients and Recipe for Blood Orange Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette 
Makes 2 large salads

1 large head leafy red leaf lettuce

1 bunch French radishes

2 organic Persian cucumbers

1/2 cup walnut pieces

2 blood oranges

1 cara cara orange

1 Meyer lemon

1 lime

1 small shallot, about 2-3 tablespoons minced

Sprigs of Greek oregano and mint, about 2 teaspoons minced plus extra for garnish on plates

2 teaspoons citrus champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons blood orange infused extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced de-seeded Jalapeños 

1-2 tablespoons honey

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 rounds of soft goat cheese

Wash, rinse and dry the leafy red leaf lettuce, set aside

Slice the radishes, set aside

Slice the cucumbers, set aside

Over a medium size bowl cut the blood oranges and cara cara orange in segments, squeezing the remaining juice from the rinds into the bowl with the segments.

Juice the lemon and lime into the bowl with the juicy orange segments.

Stir in the shallots, herbs, ginger, jalapeños, honey, salt and pepper.

Whisk in the vinegar and olive oil.

Remove the orange segments from the dressing with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Place the goat cheese rounds in the vinaigrette, spooning mixture over the rounds, set aside.

Arrange the leafy red lettuce greens on large dinner size plates.

Arrange the orange segments, radishes, cucumbers, walnuts, fresh herbs and drained goat cheese rounds on top of the leafy greens.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top, add salt and pepper to taste.