Moroccan Orange Salad with Cinnamon and Orange Blossom Water
Juicy sliced oranges are chilled in a fragrant dressing of orange blossom water, lemon and powdered sugar, then dusted with cinnamon and topped with fresh mint. A refreshing, no-cook dessert or palate-cleansing side.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (about 6 cups / 1.4 L)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the oranges for 1 hour beforehand if you can; cold fruit slices more cleanly and the salad serves colder.
- Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife for peeling and slicing. A dull knife crushes the fruit and loses juice.
- Orange blossom water is strong. Measure exactly; too much tastes soapy.
- The salad needs at least 1 hour in the fridge to let the flavors blend, so plan ahead.
Trim the oranges
- Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange so it sits flat on the cutting board, exposing the flesh.
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Ready when: Both ends show a ring of orange flesh.
Tip: Work on a board with a juice groove to catch the juices; you'll use them later.
Peel away the pith
- Stand an orange upright and slice downward, following its curve, to remove the peel and all the white pith in strips.
- Rotate and repeat.
- Peel all 6 oranges.
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Ready when: The oranges are fully orange with no white pith visible.
Tip: Leftover pith is bitter, so go back and trim any white patches.
Slice the rounds
- Slice each orange crosswise into rounds about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Flick out any seeds with the knife tip.
- Overlap the rounds in a shallow dish or on a platter in a single layer or two layers.
- Pour any juice from the board over the top.
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Ready when: Slices are even and hold together as full rounds.
Tip: Slices thicker than ½ inch (1.25 cm) feel heavy and absorb less dressing.
Mix the dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, orange blossom water, 2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar and the salt until the sugar completely dissolves.
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Ready when: The liquid looks clear with no sugar granules at the bottom.
Tip: Taste a drop; it should smell floral, not perfumey. Add a splash of lemon juice if too strong.
Dress the oranges
- Spoon the dressing evenly over the orange slices, then tilt the dish gently so it pools and coats the fruit.
- Do not stir vigorously, which would break the slices.
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Ready when: Every slice looks glossy and wet.
Chill to blend
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
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Ready when: The dish has a pool of fragrant juice and the fruit is thoroughly cold.
Tip: Don't chill longer than 4 hours; the slices soften and turn watery.
Dust and garnish
- Just before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the oranges with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.
- Scatter the mint over the top.
- Serve cold with some of the juices spooned over each portion.
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Ready when: A light, even cinnamon veil covers the slices without clumps.
Tip: Add the cinnamon only at the last minute; it turns muddy and clumpy if it sits in the juice.
Good to know
Tips
- Choose heavy oranges with thin, smooth skin; they have the most juice.
- Cut with a sawing motion rather than pressing down to keep the rounds intact.
- Serve in a shallow dish rather than a deep bowl so the slices don't get crushed or sit in too much juice.
- Add a few pitted dates or a handful of olives, as served in some regions of Morocco, for a savory-sweet variation.
Make ahead
"Peel and slice the oranges and mix the dressing up to 4 hours ahead; keep them covered in the fridge, dressed. Add the cinnamon, extra powdered sugar and mint just before serving."
Storage & reheating
"Fridge: store covered up to 24 hours, though the texture is best within 4 hours. Room temperature: serve within 30 minutes of removing from the fridge. Freezer: not recommended; the slices turn mushy when thawed. Serve cold; no reheating."
Substitutions
- navel oranges → blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges or mandarins. Blood oranges give a dramatic color; peel mandarins and slice them into rounds.
- orange blossom water → rose water (½ tablespoon). Rose water is stronger, so use half the amount. It gives a different but traditional floral note.
- powdered sugar → honey (1 tablespoon / 20 g). Whisk with the lemon juice to dissolve. Skip it entirely if your oranges are very sweet.
- fresh mint leaves → chopped pistachios or toasted slivered almonds. Adds crunch in place of the fresh herb.
