Kale and Cara Cara Orange Salad

If you haven't had Cara Cara oranges before, I encourage you to seek them out. They are incredibly sweet and succulent (as they are low in acid) and they have no pits. How cool is that? Especially for kids!

Their peel looks very similar to a navel orange but the fruit is slightly pinker, closer in colour to a grapefruit. The pink shade indicates the presence of lycopene, the same antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red colour.

They are still considered to be specialty products as they weren't available in the produce market until the late 1980s.

I jump at the chance to buy them when they appear here in January and February. Ours come from California, but they're also grown in South Africa and Australia. You can read more about Cara Cara oranges in this article.

🛒 Ingredients

kale:  1 bunch of Lacinato kale OR 5 oz. package of baby kale

oranges:  this recipe features Cara Cara oranges, but you can use navel oranges or other sweet oranges if you'd like.

nuts or seeds: toasted flaked almonds or pumpkin seeds add a little crunch to this salad. Sometimes I've used salted sunflower seeds, too.

fennel: this anise-flavoured veggie adds little hints of licorice 

cheese:  optional, but good! I've made this salad with grated Manchego cheese (sheep's cheese), with Parmesan, and with crumbled feta. It's good both with or without cheese!

Citrus Vinaigrette: olive oil, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, freshly squeezed orange juice, garlic, shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.

Kale, like that shown in the photo above, can be a little tough but it's very easy to tenderize.

1. How to massage kale to tenderize it. First, strip the leaves from the tough inner stem and chop the leaves into very small pieces. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and gently massage the oil into the leaves. Massaging helps to break down the tough connecting fibers and makes the kale easier to digest.
2. Set the kale aside, and whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. This Citrus dressing is superb when you use freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange juice, but you can also substitute lemon juice or Meyer lemon juice.
3. Toast the flaked almonds over medium-low heat in a skillet just until they become fragrant and begin to brown. Remove from the heat as they will continue to brown in the residual heat from the pan.
4. Slice the fennel using a very sharp knife or a mandolin. See this helpful guide for how to cut a fennel bulb.
5. Now, simply arrange the massaged kale or baby kale (no need to massage it) in a shallow bowl with bite-sized orange slices, thinly sliced fennel, grated or crumbled cheese, and toasted almonds.
6. Toss with this flavourful Citrus Vinaigrette and enjoy!