Ingredients
4 ounces baby arugula
1 blood orange
1 Cara Cara orange
1 ounce hazelnuts
2 ounces goat cheese
5-6 large green olives (such as Castelvetrano or Picholine)
2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Wash and dry the arugula, then divide between two dinner plates.
Cut the ends off the oranges, then peel them with a sharp knife. Segment each orange over a bowl to catch the juices, then distribute the orange segments between the two plates, reserving any juice.
Toast the hazelnuts either in a small skillet or in the microwave oven (1 minute on high, stopping halfway through to shake the plate).
Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then rub them in a clean dish towel to remove as many of the skins as possible. Coarsely chop the nuts and distribute between the two plates.
Break the goat cheese into small chunks and distribute between the two plates.
Drizzle any remaining orange juice over the arugula, then drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over each plate. Sprinkle each one with half of the salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Blood oranges get their striking ruby-red flesh from anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigments found in berries and red cabbage — they are typically available from December through April.
- Castelvetrano olives from Sicily are milder, buttery, and less briny than most green olives, making them ideal for salads where they complement rather than overpower delicate ingredients.
- Cara Cara oranges are a type of navel orange with a rosy-pink interior and a notably sweet, low-acid flavor with hints of cherry and rose, adding complexity alongside the blood orange.
- Toasting hazelnuts before use activates their natural oils, deepening their flavor and making it easier to rub off their bitter papery skins for a cleaner, nuttier taste.
- Baby arugula has a more tender texture and milder peppery bite compared to mature arugula, making it the ideal base for a delicate composed salad like this one.
- Goat cheese (chèvre) is naturally lower in calories and fat than many aged cheeses and is often better tolerated by people with mild dairy sensitivities due to its different protein structure.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- Blood and Cara Cara oranges are excellent sources of vitamin C, with a single orange providing well over 100% of the daily recommended intake, supporting immune function and skin health.
- Arugula is a cruciferous leafy green rich in vitamin K, which plays a critical role in blood clotting and bone metabolism — a generous handful delivers a meaningful daily dose.
- Extra virgin olive oil is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and oleocanthal, a natural anti-inflammatory compound that functions similarly to ibuprofen at the molecular level.
- Hazelnuts provide vitamin E, copper, and manganese, along with a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats that support cardiovascular health and help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins in the salad.
- Goat cheese contributes calcium and protein to this salad while adding richness; its medium-chain fatty acids are metabolized more efficiently than those from cow's milk cheeses.
- This salad is naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and relatively low in carbohydrates while delivering a satisfying balance of healthy fats, plant protein, and a wide array of micronutrients.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories390
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat31 g72 g43.06%
- Saturated Fat7 g20 g35%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat19 g
- Cholesterol13 mg300 mg4.33%
- Sodium610 mg2300 mg26.52%
- Total Carbohydrate22 g275 g8%
- Dietary Fiber4 g28 g14.29%
- Total Sugars14 g
- Added Sugars0 g50 g0%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein9 g50 g18%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)0 mcg20 mcg0%
- Calcium148 mg1300 mg11.38%
- Iron2 mg18 mg11.11%
- Potassium480 mg4700 mg10.21%
- Vitamin A1100 mcg900 mcg122.22%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)72 mg90 mg80%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)5 mg15 mg33.33%
- Vitamin K78 mcg120 mcg65%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.2 mg1.2 mg16.67%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.18 mg1.3 mg13.85%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)1.1 mg16 mg6.88%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.15 mg1.7 mg8.82%
- Folate68 mcg400 mcg17%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0.2 mcg2.4 mcg8.33%
- Biotin4 mcg30 mcg13.33%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.5 mg5 mg10%
- Choline22 mg550 mg4%
- Phosphorus175 mg1250 mg14%
- Iodine3 mcg150 mcg2%
- Magnesium42 mg420 mg10%
- Zinc1.1 mg11 mg10%
- Selenium3 mcg55 mcg5.45%
- Copper0.35 mg0.9 mg38.89%
- Manganese1 mg2.3 mg43.48%
- Chromium2 mcg35 mcg5.71%
- Molybdenum5 mcg45 mcg11.11%
- Chloride120 mg2300 mg5.22%
