Take advantage of all the fresh citrus fruit in the winter months. This winter citrus salad is packed with goodness from roasted cauliflower, oranges, kalamata olives, cabbage, and crushed cashews. It's ready in about 30 minutes and then dressed in a citrus vinaigrette.
Jump to Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox.ย Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
Winter is citrus season, and the stores are full of citrus you only see a couple of months of the year. Satsuma and blood oranges are piled up next to the navel oranges we see all year round.
Add fresh orange slices to salads with kale or baby spinach, like this Moroccan citrus quinoa salad with spinach and arugula. Brussels sprouts and roasted beets are also excellent with slices of oranges. Or toss together segments of a mixture of citrus to use as a topping for cauliflower steaks.
For more winter salad ideas, some of which use citrus, go check out this post on what to eat in January.
โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy. This winter citrus salad is ready in about 30 minutes with very little prep.
- Main meal or side dish. Adding cauliflower and French lentils turns this simple salad into a main dish. Or serve it as a hearty side for the meat eaters at the table.
- Celebrates winter produce. Produce typically has better nutritional value when harvested and consumed in season.
- Portable. Pack this salad in a jar to take to work for lunch.
๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
Citrus Salad
- Cauliflower
- Oranges - use seedless oranges for this salad, such as clementines, cara cara oranges, blood oranges, and satsuma oranges.
- French green lentils - or black lentils. Both of these types of lentils hold their shape well when cooked and are perfect for salads.
- Cabbage
- Kalamata olives
- Scallions (green onions)
- Parsley
- Feta cheese
- Cashews (optional) - I add cashews if I eliminate the lentils and serve this as a side salad.
Citrus Dressing
- Orange juice
- Light vinegar - champagne vinegar and citrus vinegar are both great choices.
- Seasoning
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
๐ช Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list ofย favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Sheet pan or baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Whisk
๐ฉโ๐ณ Tips for Making this Winter Citrus Salad
- Any type of orange works in this salad, or use two different types.
- Purchase feta cheese in large chunks or a single slab, and crumble between your fingers. Pre-crumbled feta can be too dry, and it only takes a few seconds to crumble it yourself for a much better flavor.
- I used 2 navel oranges for the Vinaigrette, but feel free to use another kind of citrus.
๐ก Ideas for Variations
- Use cooked quinoa or roasted chickpeas instead of French lentils for extra protein. Quinoa is a great combination with citrus.
- If the added protein isn't important for your meal, use orzo pasta instead.
- Other winter salad greens that work well in this salad include kale, bok choy, spinach, red cabbage, and radicchio.
- Use thin slices of red onion in place of the scallions.
- For a side salad, I eliminate the lentils and add cashews.
- Add thin slices of fresh mint leaves (chiffonade) to the salad.
- If you have pomegranate arils (pomegranate seeds) on hand, add a handful.
This is a usefulย guide on the 5 major different types of cabbageย that includes tips for purchasing the best cabbage at your market, how to store it for a longer life, and how to use the various types.
๐ฅฌ Make it Vegan
Use plant-based feta-style cheese.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox.ย Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Winter Citrus Salad with Cauliflower, Kalamata Olives and Feta
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Sumo Citrus Salad
- ยฝ medium head of cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large Satsuma oranges see the Ingredients section for other orange you can use
- ยฝ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- ยฝ cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
- ยผ cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
- ยผ cup crumbled feta cheese
- โ small head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked French green lentils optional
- ยฝ cup cashews, coarsely chopped optional
Citrus Vinaigrette
- ยผ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne wine vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- โ teaspoon ground black pepper
- โ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper powder
- ยผ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400หF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the cauliflower into florets using a sharp chef's knife. Toss them in olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until tender.ย
- Peel the oranges and use a sharp knife such as a paring knife to separate the segments. These segments are called citrus supremes.Combine orange segments with the kalamata olives, scallions, parsley, crumbled feta cheese, and thinly sliced cabbage in a large bowl. Mix in the roasted cauliflower and cooked lentils, if using. Cashews are a great addition if you don't use the lentils.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the Citrus Vinaigrette, and drizzle one-half of the Vinaigrette over the top of the salad, and toss. Add the remaining Vinaigrette to taste, and toss again.ย
- Serve at room temperature.ย
Morgan Eisenberg
If more salads were full of cauliflower and cashews, I think I'd eat a lot more salad.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
hahaha!! I'll work on that! ๐
Emma
I love sunny citrus in these dark winter months. This looks so nutritious!
Rachel
How different and wonderful! And so tasty!
Holly
I am headed to Costco shortly and think I can buy all of these ingredients in bulk then enjoy it for days to come! I love a bright citrus salad to get me through the winter months. Beautiful!
Kelly Anthony
I'm always looking for new and fun ways to add more veggies in my day and this sumo citrus salad with cauliflower looks delicious!
krissy
this salad is so refreshing! the citrus gives it a huge flavor boost! definitely a fun change from a traditional salad!
Oranges Matter
Amazing salad! I was lucky to have had a box of Arizona sweet navel oranges gifted over the holidays... what a difference when using tree ripened, fresh citrus fruit. Delicious!
Paula
such a bright beautiful salad!
Toni
I love it! Packed full of amazing flavors!
Eve
What perfect timing, we still have a bunch of oranges that were given to us. I've never tried having them along with salad but am already imagining the flavors in my mind. Can't wait!
Susanna
This looks delicious and I'm looking forward to making it. Thank you for sharing this recipe
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I hope you give it a try! It's perfect when all the fresh citrus arrives at the markets!