The Wimpy Vegetarian

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Moroccan Citrus Salad with Quinoa

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Moroccan citrus salad of oranges and kalamata olives dressed in a spicy vinaigrette. Add peppery arugula and quinoa for a vegetarian main dish.

Citrus is at its peak right now, and brightening hearty winter salads is one of the best ways to use it. Like this Moroccan Citrus Salad that I love to make all winter, or this Sumo Citrus Salad with Cauliflower, Olives and Feta. As note: This recipe was originally posted in January 2012, and updated January 2020.

Why Use Citrus Now

Variety

Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes are the most common. But, in winter, they’re joined by so many friends. Look for mandarin oranges, tangerines, tangelos, sumo, satsuma and Buddha’s hand. Pomelo, closely related to the grapefruit, is considered the largest citrus. It offers a sweet, mild grapefruit flavor. Kumquats are unusual in that their rind is sweet, while the pulp is sour (although some kumquat strains boast a sweeter pulp).

Flavor

At their peak, citrus is at its sweetest, juiciest, and most flavorful. Many citrus can taste more sour, bitter or bland when harvested at other times of the year than now.

Nutrition

We all know citrus is loaded with vitamin C, and may shorten a cold. But they’re also loaded with potassium, provide fiber, and are heart healthy. For bonus points: citrus, when added to nutritious greens, makes the green’s nutrition more bioavailable. So, next time you’re choosing some kale, swiss chard, or collards, think about adding citrus to the mix.

 

Ingredient Tips

  • The oranges can be any seedless variety, such as navel, blood oranges, sumo mandarins, satsuma or tangerines.
  • The peppery flavor of arugula is a great foil for citrus and quinoa, but the arugula can be combined with other greens. Good examples are spinach, which I used, baby kale or baby Swiss chard. 

Make This Moroccan Citrus Salad in Less Than 15 Minutes

Make the vinaigrette ahead of time, and either cook raw quinoa ahead or use frozen quinoa. I almost always use frozen cooked quinoa and steam it in a little orange juice for extra flavor. 

Kick Up the Flavor

If you want to kick up the flavor even more:

  • Toss 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves with the greens.
  • Cook the quinoa with orange juice and stir in the zest of 1 lime when it’s cooked.

Tips for the Omnivores

Sauté some shrimp dusted with paprika, salt and pepper.  

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Moroccan citrus salad of oranges and kalamata olives dressed in a spicy vinaigrette. Add peppery arugula and quinoa for a vegan main dish.
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3.72 from 7 votes

Moroccan Citrus Salad with Quinoa

Healthy meal-worthy salad of greens, citrus, kalamata olives and quinoa. And it can be ready in 15 minutes if you use frozen quinoa and have the dressing made.
Prep Time20 mins
Course: Dinner, Salad, Vegan Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: citrus salad
Servings: 2
Author: The Wimpy Vegetarian

Ingredients

Citrus Salad

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 large oranges, see notes
  • 4 cups arugula or other greens, see notes
  • 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 20 kalamata olives, halved

Moroccan Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, I use Pimenton de la Vera
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Cook up the quinoa, if you don't have any on hand and you're cooking it from seed. TIP: I typically either have cooked quinoa on hand or a bag of store-bought frozen quinoa in the freezer for a big time saver.
  • While the quinoa cooks, make the Moroccan Vinaigrette. Whisk together the sherry wine vinegar, orange juice and spices until spices and salt are dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.
  • Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges. Set them on their flat bottoms, and carefully slice away the peel and pith, leaving the fruit completely intact. Slice the whole, peeled, oranges horizontally in 1/4" slices or bite-sized pieces.
    Moroccan citrus salad of oranges and kalamata olives dressed in a spicy vinaigrette. Add peppery arugula and quinoa for a vegan main dish.
  • In a large bowl, combine the arugula and other greens you're using with the cooked quinoa, olives, shallot, mint leaves and lime zest. Add the orange slices and drizzle 1/2 the dressing over the mixture. Toss and add remaining dressing as desired.
  • Heap on a plate and top with the optional feta cheese, if using.

Notes

TIPS

  1. Make this dish in 15 minutes by making the vinaigrette and quinoa in advance. I almost always have either a jar of quinoa already cooked tucked into the refrigerator, or a package of store-bought frozen quinoa in the freezer. 
  2. Any seedless orange works great in this salad. I recommend navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, sumo mandarins, or satsuma. 
  3. The peppery flavor of arugula is a winning combination with the quinoa and oranges, but can be combined with other greens, such as baby spinach, baby kale, or baby Swiss chard.
  4. Kick up the flavor even further:
    1. Cook the quinoa in orange juice, and a pinch each of salt and paprika.
    2. Stir the zest of 1 lime into the quinoa when it's cooked.
    3. Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves to the greens

Moroccan citrus salad of oranges and kalamata olives dressed in a spicy vinaigrette. Add peppery arugula and quinoa for a vegan main dish.

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Comments

  2. LiztheChef says

    Oh gosh, I am planning to enter – guess I should have signed up to host…Susan, your recipe and photos absolutely sparkle. Brava re the new camera – I need a big nudge to order mine! Lovely post.

    Reply

  4. EA-The Spicy RD says

    This is a gorgeous salad, and I love how you turned it into a main dish with quinoa and arugala! I’m imagining cara cara oranges in the salad…fabulous 🙂 So happy to be hosting another lovely bloghop with you!

    Reply

  5. Carol Sacks says

    Susan, this recipe looks so fresh and tasty. Such a thoughtful mix of flavors and textures — and I’m grain-crazy these days. I look forward to trying it soon.

    Reply

    • The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      Hey thanks, Carol! Me too – I’m loving grains and greens this time of year. I think it’s driving my husband a little crazy, but he’s mostly ok with it as long as I throw down a beautiful steak on his plate 🙂

      Reply

  7. Soni says

    Lovely recipe!Such a coincidence that we along with Lisa had similar ideas.Great fun to be hosting this with you :)Happy Citruslove!

    Reply

  10. Rita Held says

    Yumm, Susan. This will make me dig out a recipe I developed years ago: Moroccan Orange & Date Salad. Has some classic North African ingredients. In addition to oranges, there’s dates, pistachios and a dressing laced with ground cumin. Our recipes are perfect for this time of year!

    Reply

    • The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      Dates!! How perfect. And if I weren’t allergic to nuts, I would hop on the pistachios too. I’ve got some dates and will add them to the salad I make today! Thanks, Rita – and you’re right, these are the flavors that really work this time of year! I’ll be looking for your recipe on your blog now! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

    • The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      Thanks juniakk! This time of year, I crave salads almost more than I do in the summer, especially salads with grains. I would love to see your quinoa salad with grapefruit sometime. I did one a few years ago with grapefruit and oranges and I just loved it!

      Reply

  14. Bevi says

    I stayed in Southern California this past week, and a Meyer lemon tree was in our backyard. Needless to say, every dish had a Meyer lemon in it – from Shrimp a la Bittman, to a tuna salad we ate for lunch every day! The first recipe I posted on food52 is chicken baked in citrus juices. This is so exciting!

    Reply

    • The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      I love citrus, and how wonderful to have a Meyer lemon tree in your backyard – even if it was only for this past week – LiztheChef has one and I’m just green with envy! Hope to hook up at FFS!

      Reply

  18. Lisa says

    I love sweet, salty and savory in a salad. It’s gorgeous, and the addition of quinoa makes it even better and so healthy! Nice to meet your blog and c-host #citruslove with you!

    Reply

  20. Terra says

    Love the addition of the kalamata olives, that is so unique! My husband and I just watched a cooking show where they incorporated the quinoa in a lovely salad, sounds so healthy, and delicous! your salad looks wonderful! Hugs, Terra

    Reply

    • The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      Thanks so much Terra! I really appreciate it. I like to keep some cooked quinoa or cooked farro in the refrigerator so that it’s easy to add to various dishes for a little protein 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  21. mjskit says

    I love everything about this salad! It is definitely a healthy full meal and sounds extremely tasty! I didn’t know that moroccan orange salad was oranges and Kalamatas. Interesting because I love that combination! Thanks for co-hosting the citrus hop!

    Reply

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