Roasted Blood Orange and Scallion Salad with Red Onion and Mint

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty
Submitted by Madeline Heising of Back Bay. She gets her copy of Edible Boston at Flour Bakery on Clarendon Street.
”I spent most of my college career at Northeastern trying to convince my fellow students and co-workers that eating healthy can be really easy, delicious and affordable, and catalogued everything on my blog, The Collegiate Vegan. Mostly, I tried to get people to look at common ingredients in new ways, and to give a second chance to veggies they thought they didn’t like—red onions, for example. Although I adore their strong flavor, most everyone I knew thought they were too pungent. This roasted citrus salad became a favorite of mine over the winter, using lemon juice to help soften the sharp red onion flavor. The addition of fresh mint balances the acidity of the onion and citrus."

Serves 2

1 blood orange, sliced into ⅛-inch rounds, keeping the peel intact
4 scallions, cleaned and trimmed, sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
2½ tablespoons olive oil, separated
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups mixed salad greens
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Optional additions: cubed avocado, toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 425°. In a mixing bowl, toss blood orange slices and scallions with ½ tablespoon olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste. Lay the sliced oranges and scallions evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzling with any remaining oil from the mixing bowl.

Roast for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan every five minutes to make sure the oranges don't burn.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes.

While the oranges and scallions are roasting, combine the red onion and lemon juice in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes, allowing it to soften.

Toss the salad greens, mint leaves, remaining olive oil and red onions together. Add roasted blood orange slices, scallions and any optional additions, tossing gently to combine. Serve immediately.

This story appeared in the Spring 2015 issue.