Blood Orange Side Salad

This salad is an Aggie original. You can pretty much put anything in a salad and the same goes for a vinaigrette, which is a lot easier to make than you think. I’ve made many variations of this salad often adding apples or making a broth based dressing instead, but the constant is always a light not-too-sour dressing and the kumquats – they add a great tang that makes the salad delicious and unique. The cheese is optional, but I always seem to miss it when it’s not there.  

INGREDIENTS makes 4 servings

3 – 4 blood oranges, supremed (segmented, without the membranes) and centers squeezed for the juice

1 large bag spring mix or sweet mix

4-5 kumquats, sliced into rounds with seeds removed

1/3 cup shaved medium to hard cheese such as aged goat cheese, Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (really any delicate flavored cheese you like that can be shaved)

1/4 cup orange juice (reserved from the blood oranges if possible) 

2 tsp avocado oil or blood orange avocado oil

1 tsp honey

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

• 3 – 4 blood oranges, supremed (segmented, without the membranes) and centers squeezed for the juice

1. Supreme the oranges and set aside. As you go, squeeze the juice out of the left over centers and reserve for the dressing.  

• 1 large bag spring mix or sweet mix
• 4-5 kumquats, sliced into rounds with seeds removed
• 1/3 cup shaved medium to hard cheese such as aged goat cheese, Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (really any delicate flavored cheese you like that can be shaved)

2. Prepare the rest of the salad ingredients by picking through the greens and removing and wilted or bad leaves, slicing and seeding the kumquats and shaving the cheese. Mix the greens, supremed orange pieces and kumquat slices together. Set aside the cheese for later.  

• 1/4 cup orange juice (reserved from the blood oranges if possible) 
• 2 tsp avocado oil or blood orange avocado oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

3. If you have enough juice from the blood orange “husks” just use that, otherwise supplement with regular orange juice to get up to a 1/4 cup. Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the orange juice, oil, honey and balsamic vinegar. Combine half of the dressing with the salad and mix to coat evenly. Taste and add more dressing until desired salad to dressing ratio is reached (should be about 3/4 of the total amount of dressing made).

• reserved cheese shavings
• prepared and dressed salad 

4. Serve the salad in plates or bowls. Top with the cheese shavings when ready to serve. Reserve any extra salad and cheese savings separately and combine when serving, otherwise the cheese gets grosse. The salad will keep for up to two days in the fridge but is best served fresh.