National Cherry Month: Oranges-Jicama Salad with Chukar® Totally Tart Cherries!

Orange Jicama Salad with Lemon-Cherry Dressing

For the past couple of weeks, our wonderful neighbors at one of Pike Market’s many fruit and vegetable stands have been dropping off delicious navel oranges for our enjoyment as they head off into the evening. Navels are in season right now, so they’re always sweet, juicy and delicious. Needless to say, they rarely survive the bus ride home.

When they do, though, we’ve found that adding them to a hearty salad creates a light yet satisfying alternative to traditionally heavy winter fare. A particularly delicious salad is our Spinach Jicama Salad dressed with Lemon-Cherry Dressing using Chukar® Totally Tart Cherries.

To keep the salad from being too citrusy or sweet, mix the oranges with Chukar’s savory TotallyTart Cherries and sliced red onions. Julienned jicama adds some crunchiness and a light peppery flavor.  (Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with jicama, pronounced hih-kah-mah, it’s actually quite easy to work with. The jicama is a root vegetable that is peeled just like a potato and easy to cut, as this video on julienning jicama shows:

Finish with our Lemon-Cherry dressing. The sour lemon, tart Montmorency Cherries and a dash of Dijon mustard adds a hint of sour and saltiness to the salad.  You can make extra dressing and store in a clean mason jar for up to two weeks for use on all your favorite salads.  

Enjoy this recipe as a side salad or top with grilled chicken and shrimp for a light entree salad. Or add chopped almonds or sunflower seeds for a bit of wholesome protein.

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 package fresh spinach, rinsed and drained well

3 navel oranges, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 jicama, peeled and sliced julienne-style

1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 handful Chukar® Dried Totally Tarty Cherries

 

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup Chukar® Dried Tart Cherries

3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, mix spinach, orange slices, jicama, sliced onion, and dried cherries.

In a separate bowl, combine salad dressing ingredients and whisk until fully mixed. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat evenly.

Serve immediately. Yields 6 to 8 servings.