Blood Orange Salad Dressing

Arancia rossa! How stunning you are. This simple blood orange salad dressing takes advantage of a raspberry flavoured citrus that is both stunning in colour and flavours.

What are Blood Oranges?

Originating from Italy, arancia rossa or blood oranges are a natural mutation of regular oranges.

Some of the peel of the blood oranges look the same as oranges from the outside, but the flesh ranges from dark pink to deep crimson red.

However, some blood oranges do have thin veins of red or a slight blush that runs through the peel, making it easier to identify.

Why are Blood Oranges Red?

The flesh of blood oranges is deep red in colour due to the high levels of the anthocyanin pigment. This same pigment makes other vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, beets, and blueberries have that red, blue, and purple colour.

When are Blood Oranges in Season?

Blood oranges are a winter and spring fruit, so look out for them from December to April in the Northern Hemisphere or April to about October down where we are in Australia.

For the blood red colours to be intensified, it needs cooler temperatures, which helps promote the anthocyanins, which is probably why you can only eat some purple-coloured vegetables like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in the colder months.

What Do Blood Oranges Taste Like?

Blood oranges are a bit sweeter than regular oranges with a touch of raspberry nuances. However, compared to oranges, they are less tangy and have floral flavours.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this blood orange salad dressing:

Blood orange: Love a good winter orange in all its stunning blood red colours. They are becoming much more available outside of the cooler months, so do take advantage of them when you see them.

Get extra as there is nothing quite like freshly squeezed blood orange juice. Add them to your smoothies for added flavour and gorgeous colours.

Olive oil: Use good olive oil that makes for an excellent homemade salad dressing. The cheap olive oil you use to cook with just doesn’t cut it.

Honey: Honey and oranges go incredibly well together as the sweetness from the nectar compliments the citrusy tartness from the blood oranges.

Horseradish cream: Love adding a good kicker into a salad dressing. The intensity of the horseradish is tamed in this condiment, so you’re just getting subtle notes.

As you may have noticed, this is a vinegar free salad dressing; hence, it’s not a blood orange vinaigrette. A typical blood orange vinaigrette would have 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil. The blood orange juice is citrusy enough to form the base of this salad dressing.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for blood orange salad dressing.

Juice one blood orange, then add olive oil, honey and horseradish cream.

Mix until well combined.

Best Salad for This Dressing

Lamb Steaks Salad
A salad with lamb steaks has got to be one of the best ways to enjoy a hearty, meaty salad. Complement it with peppery leaves, zesty blood oranges and earthy beetroot for the perfect lamb recipe!

More Salad Dressing Recipes

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