Blood Orange Arugula Salad Recipe with Feta

This refreshingly healthy Arugula Salad Recipe showcases juicy blood oranges, crumbled feta cheese, red onions, and kalamata olives. It is tossed with a blood orange vinaigrette that is so simple yet outrageously yummy. The combination of all the flavors will awaken your tastebuds to crave this salad at least once a week. 

I was in the grocery store for a few regular oranges to add to this salad. All of a sudden my eyes were opened to a fruit that I have overlooked a thousand times. I almost grabbed them by accident because there’s really no distinctive difference between the skin of a regular orange and this “newbie” that I just came across. There was no good reason to not include it, so I grabbed several of them and threw them in my basket.

I have a newfound love and they’ve been hiding in the produce section of the grocery store all along. I’m almost embarrassed to admit it but I had never until recently, peeled a blood orange or had the pleasure of tasting its delight. I know, it’s quite sad, especially since I’ve tried pretty much everything under the sun. But I will sing their praises from now on. 

The Ingredient List

Arugula and Baby Spinach

Arugula is the perfect leafy lettuce variety that pairs beautifully with all the other ingredients. It adds a pungent flavor with a peppery overtone. A nice fringe benefit to these lovely greens is the essential nutrients that help keep our heart and bones healthy.

The delicate leaves of baby spinach work great in salads. Also, spinach is a superfood that is compacted with tons of nutrients while being low in calories. Implementing both arugula and spinach in your diet will do your body good. 

A handful of Mint Leaves

There’s a subtle minty surprise hidden throughout the salad that gives it a cool, fresh feel to your taste buds. Don’t fret though, it’s not overpowering. 

Blood Oranges

You add another layer of health benefits when you include these blood oranges. They contain antioxidants that are known for their anti-cancer properties which help reduce your damage to our bodies from free radicals. Like many other citrus fruits, blood oranges contain vitamin C which helps reduce cholesterol levels and helps to shore up your immune system.

When I peeled this little hidden gem and sliced it, all the colors of a gorgeous sunset were displayed on my countertop. But what took me by surprise was the depth of its many complex flavors. Blood oranges have a more exotic feel than a regular navel orange. There are hints of grapefruit and raspberry, which you’ll find quite interesting. But if blood oranges are out of season, a regular orange will work just fine. 

 

Kalamata Olives

Pick the olives from the olive bins in the produce department because they tend to be tastier. And I’ll always choose fresh instead of jars or cans if I have the choice. But if push comes to shove and you can’t find any fresh, don’t leave the olives out. Grab a jar off the shelf. The briny saltiness that they add is necessary for this Arugula Salad Recipe’s full-flavor effect. 

Feta Cheese

You can use either crumbled feta or goat cheese in this Arugula Salad Recipe. I am in love with both of them. I chose feta because it has a little more texture but is still on the creamy side. And its salty taste pairs amazingly with the sweetness of the blood orange. 

Sliced Red Onions

Red onions are sweeter than regular yellow onions which make for the perfect combo to salads. The red onions give the Arugula Salad Recipe a nice crunch along with an attractive presentation because of its deep purple color. 

Putting this Salad all Together

I love recipes that are complex with flavors but are simple. And this one definitely delivers on both. Between the sweet oranges, the tangy feta, and the briny olives, your taste buds will go wild with the intensity. 

It takes less than 10 minutes to throw this Blood Orange Arugula Salad Recipe together. The most time-consuming element is peeling the oranges and preparing the vinaigrette. 

Toss it with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette 

The vinaigrette is the so-called “icing on the cake.” It’s so simple yet so enticing and can be added to a variety of salads because of its versatility. Freshly squeezed lemon and blood orange juice, blood orange zest, extra virgin olive oil, and minced garlic. I usually make extra and store it in the fridge. It will last for a good long week. 

I would venture to say this will become top of my list of “go-to” salads. At least for the moment anyway. The array of colors from the orange, arugula, feta cheese, red onions, and kalamata olives, transformed this Arugula Salad Recipe into a stunning presentation on my table. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I’m gonna go dive into this yummy salad and let the flavors explode in my mouth.

If you’re craving salads right now, check these out:

Fresh Peach Arugula Salad with Blueberries

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Pickled Onions

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Asian Seared Tuna Salad with Peanut Sauce

Also, please follow me on Pinterest – Lingeralittle. 

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