Orange Parsley Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Sweet bites of oranges are tossed with crisp lettuce and parsley and then topped with caramelized almonds to create the most refreshing orange and parsley salad I have ever tasted.

I can not thank my sister enough for telling me about this salad years ago and then passing on the recipe.

Jenny called to tell me about the Orange Parsley Salad one night after a party with her book club and I made this salad every single day for weeks after, including. And no, I’m not exaggerating at all.

I am almost sad to be telling you about this fantastic salad so late in the citrus season. I first shared this recipe on the site more than five years ago.

I shot new photos for this recipe last week while my friend Rebecca was visiting. (Check out the fun video we made too!)

I knew then that I needed to re-share it on the site for those of you who might have missed it initially, you now have a second chance to fall in love with it.

The odds are good that once you’ve tasted it, you will be making this salad several times a week, until the very last of the clementines disappear from the stores.

Parsley Salad

My friends, I am begging you not to let the name of this salad turn you away. If you haven’t tried a salad with an abundance of fresh parsley in it, you are truly missing out.

The fresh parsley brightens the savory flavors similar to the way that lemon will brighten a dish and simply make it taste better.

This is one of my all time favorite salad side dishes and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

This parsley salad is dressed with a simple White Balsamic Vinaigrette. I love that dressing so much; I gave it a full post of its own.

I keep the vinaigrette in my pantry now and use it on almost every salad I make with fruit or a sweet note to the salad.

Light, sweet, tangy and with just enough oil to coat the salad without weighing it down. I posted the recipe separately as a double batch, just so I would have some left in the refrigerator for future salads.

Salad Recipes

I have a well known love for salads. From fruit salads to garden vegetable salads, summer salads to winter salads, chopped salads to pasta salads and so much more, I love salads.

I really like a great combination of flavors and textures in a salad and this Israeli Couscous Salad is a terrific example of that.

This Strawberry Bacon Salad by Wine and Glue and this Apple Brie Salad by Lemon Tree Dwelling are both on my list to try soon too.

Orange Parsley Salad Recipe

1. Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small jars and shake to combine.
2. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, parsley and oranges.
3. Drizzle the salad with just enough dressing to lightly coat the lettuce. (I use about 1/2 of the dressing for the whole salad.)
4. Toss with tongs or large spoons and then top with almonds.
5. Serve immediately and store any remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

5 from 1 vote

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Orange Parsley Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe adapted from and with thanks to my sister Jenny, and her friend, Letta

Servings: 3 -4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head of green or red leaf lettuce or 1/2 head of each, roughly chopped bite-size
• 1/2 bunch of Italian parsley leaves only, about 2/3 cup, chopped small (about 1/3 cup chopped)
• 6 clementine or mandarin oranges peeled, sectioned and then chopped in half
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds caramelized or not*
• 1/4 cup light flavored olive oil
• 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small jar and shake to combine. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, parsley and oranges. Drizzle with just enough dressing to lightly coat the lettuce. (I only used about 1/2 of the dressing for the whole salad.) 

3. Toss with tongs or large spoons and then top with almonds. Serve immediately. Store any remaining dressing in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
4. * I've made this both with and without caramelizing the almonds. The salad is awesome both ways. If you have an extra minute, the effort is worth it. For an every day salad though, I just toss in the sliced almonds.

{originally published 3/31/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/8/18}