Nicola's Tunisian Orange Salad

My friend Nicola Longford learned this delightful salad from her partner Habib’s stepmother. At a Tunisian dinner at Nicola and Habib’s townhouse. I loved how the fruit was balanced by salty oil-cured olives and snappy radishes.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

4 navel oranges

1 bunch radishes, sliced thin

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

14-18 oil-cured black olives

1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, torn in pieces

1/4 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Little gem, red leaf or other lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. Grate the zest of one of the oranges in to a small bowl. Squeeze the orange, and add the juice to the zest. Cut the pith from the remaining three oranges, and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds or half-rounds. Place the slices in a medium mixing bowl, along with the radishes, red onion, olives, mint and parsley.

2. Add the Dijon mustard, salt and Aleppo pepper to the orange juice and whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the dressing to the orange-radish-onion salad and toss. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and place the orange salad on top. Serve immediately.