Orange Sesame Asian Salad

This salad reminds me of one my mom used to make every year on Christmas Eve. The salad dressing is really the show in this. You can add the dressing to any lettuce base, but I like a mix of chopped kale, brussel sprouts and cabbage to get that extra crunch. It's also a great base when you are storing leftovers as you don't have to worry about soggy lettuce. Whether you make this for a party or just for yourself, I'm guessing this sweet and savory Orange Sesame Asian Salad will be one you circle back to time and again.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Dressing - Makes about 1/2 cup. Best made ahead of time so it can marinate in the fridge for hours.

2 large fresh squeezed oranges little less than 1/2 cup juice
3 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 small or 1/4 large garlic clove minced OR dash garlic powder
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt add more to taste or extra lemon juice
1 tbsp. white part of green onion finely chopped

Salad Base - Serves 3-4 as a meal or 8 small side salads for a party

7 cups chopped kale
1 1/2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brussel sprouts thinly sliced
6 green onions - both white and green parts thinly sliced
2 large oranges, cut into small segements or 2 cups mandarin oranges
1/2 cup toasted almonds

Method

How To Make Orange Sesame Salad Dressing

Unless you have a citrus juicer, just cut your orange in half and take it over a small bowl and really squeeze it. Then with the inside of the orange facing the bowl, use your fingers to really grip out the remaining juice from inside of the oranges. It's more than fine if you get little pieces of orange in it.
Add in the toasted sesame oil, raw honey, minced garlic, lemon juice, finely chopped green onion, ground pepper, and salt.
Pour the dressing into a lidded jar or similar and shake it well.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The flavors will meld together better after sitting for a few hours or even overnight.

How To Make Toasted Almonds

Preheat the oven to 350. Add the whole almonds to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until slightly golden and you can smell them. Watch them closely as they burn quickly. Once they are out of the oven, carefully remove them from the hot pan so they cool a bit before chopping them.

How To Make Orange Sesame Asian Salad

Mix the kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, green onion, and celery in a large bowl. Add in the chopped orange segments and the toasted almonds. Drizzle in the salad dressing and toss together well with tongs.

Notes

The dressing is best if made ahead of time so it can sit and marinate in the fridge for hours. The flavors come out a lot more this way. If making last minute, put it in the freezer for five minutes to get it chilled as it tastes best cold. The recipe makes about 1/2 cup of dressing for the large salad. It tastes best tossed together with the salad as oppose to drizzling it on top. You can also mix it with the hearty kale cabbage salad right away and store it in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Use the dressing within 2 days.