Citrus Salad with Tahini and Sesame-Cashew Crunch

Citrus season is coming to a close and as we prepare for berry, stone-fruit, and melon season to sweep in and steal the show I wanted to say goodbye to the best of the winter citrus with a little salad.

Citrus is the foundation of any great meal, without it food would lack acidity and bright contrast. In this recipe, I will show you how to use all the parts of one piece of citrus and slice it perfectly for a show-stopping salad. This salad integrates creamy tahini, bitter radicchio, crunchy cashews, and rounds it all out with some refreshing mint.

Full disclosure, I filmed this right before quarantine so if you are having trouble finding any of these ingredients I’ve tried to provide some swap-outs :)

Citrus Salad with Tahini and Cashew-Sesame Crunch

Serves: 2-4 people

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup tahini paste

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• 3-4 small Navel oranges (or any orange you can find), zest and juice

• Kosher salt

• 1 small head purple radicchio or arugula

• 1/2  cup fresh mint leaves or any soft herb

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews, chopped

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• ½  teaspoon chili flakes

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

• Flaky Sea Salt

Steps: 

MAKE CASHEW-SESAME CRUNCH: Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped cashews, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon, until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes. Cook, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon, until golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey. Season with kosher salt. Set aside to cool.

MAKE CITRUS-TAHINI SAUCE: Add  1/2  cup tahini paste to a medium bowl. Zest 1 lemon using a rasp grater (Microplane). Juice 1/2 of the zested lemon, reserving the second half of zested lemon for later.  Zest 1 orange using a rasp grater (Microplane). juice 1/2  zested orange, reserving the second half of zested orange for later. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup water to the tahini mixture until smooth and fluffy. Season with salt. 

PREPARE CITRUS: Cut off the tops and bottoms of 3 oranges with a sharp knife to create a flat surface for each. Place the oranges cut side down on a cutting board. Slice off the peel and pith with a sharp knife until all the pith is removed. Cut oranges into 1/4 inch rounds using a sharp knife. Set aside.

PREPARE LETTUCE :Slice radicchio using a mandolin or sharp knife into thin strips and place in a bowl. Add juice of reserved lemon, juice of reserved orange, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into radicchio and mix until combined.

PLATE: Spread tahini citrus sauce across the surface of a wide plate with high sides until fully covered. Lay citrus rounds on top of tahini sauce. Sprinkle with salt. Add radicchio on top of citrus pieces to form a generous pile. Sprinkle with salt. Add fresh mint leaves. Top salad with cashew sesame crunch.