Winter salads add a light freshness to the heavier meals we tend to serve during cooler weather. This Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Orange is a colorful and delicious dish that features in-season citrus.

Peppery arugula forms the base, topped with sweet oranges, salty feta, and toasted walnuts for just the right amount of crunch. A simple white balsamic vinaigrette ties everything together without overpowering the natural flavors of the ingredients.

This is the kind of salad that looks beautiful on the table but comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, casual lunches, or winter entertaining.

Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Orange

Lisa Funsch

A fresh and vibrant winter salad made with peppery arugula, sweet oranges, crumbly feta cheese, and toasted walnuts, finished with a light white balsamic vinaigrette. This simple, beautiful salad comes together quickly and highlights the best flavors of in-season citrus.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Ingredients

Salad

¼ cup walnuts, chopped
6 cups Arugula, (baby arugula if available)
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 navel oranges

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
½ tsp honey
½ tsp dijon mustard
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉.
Place chopped walnuts onto a small baking dish.
Roast in oven for 5 minutes until toasted, taking care not to burn. Set aside to cool while you prepare the salad.
Place arugula onto a serving dish.
Sprinkle chopped red onion, crumbled feta and roasted walnuts over the arugula.
Peel the orange using a knife, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
Slice the orange crosswise into ¼-inch rounds, then cut each round in half.
Arrange orange slices over the bed of arugula
In a small bowl, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and salt until smooth.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately, or serve dressing on the side for guests to add on their own.

Notes

Citrus Variations: Navel, Cara Cara, blood oranges, or grapefruit all work beautifully in this salad.

Keyword Arugula, citrus salad, oranges, salad with oranges and feta, winter salad recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Choosing Your Citrus

For this salad, I used a combination of traditional navel oranges and Cara Cara oranges, which are slightly sweeter and milder. Blood oranges are delicious if you can find them, and even grapefruit works beautifully for a more tart, sophisticated flavor. Feel free to use what looks best at the market.

Peeling a cara cara orange with a knife, removing as much of the white pith as possible — Peel the oranges with a knife, removing as much of the white pith as possible.

Slicing Cara Cara oranges into 1/4-inch rounds — Slice the oranges into 1/4-inch rounds, and then cut each round in half

A Simple Dressing That Works

The dressing is intentionally light: white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It complements the citrus and feta without stealing the spotlight.

How to Serve

This salad is wonderful served immediately after dressing, but it’s also ideal for entertaining if you prefer to serve the dressing on the side. It’s as pretty as it is delicious and always earns compliments at the table.

Assembling the arugula salad with feta and orange

Let Me Know What You Think

If you give this Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Orange a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Send me a message, or tag me on Instagram and Facebook@modernclassichost.

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Light and Fresh: Arugula Salad with Feta and Orange