Potato and Orange Salad – Ensalada Valenciana
Ensalada Valenciana is a simple salad of potatoes and oranges dressed with a red wine vinaigrette. This light salad has several layers of sweetness — subtle red potatoes, fresh and fruity oranges, and roasted savory pimientos.
What is a pimiento? It’s a generic Spanish word for peppers, but in this recipe, pimientos refer to roasted, skinned, and seeded sweet peppers. Pimientos are available canned or jarred but can be easily made at home.
For homemade pimientos, roast whole sweet peppers (such as your standard red bell) at 375ºF / 190ºC for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through roasting. The skins will blister and blacken. Peel the roasted peppers and remove the seeds. Refrigerated in an airtight container, pimientos will keep for several days.
recipe adapted from Penelope Casas’ The Foods and Wines of Spain
Monthly Mingle: Healthy Family Dinners hosted by What’s Cooking Blog
Ensalada Valenciana
Potato and Orange Salad
makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 medium red waxy potatoes, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 red onion
1 orange
1 pimiento
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place the potatoes in a pot and fill with water to cover. Add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Simmering may take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes depending on the size. Let the potatoes cool completely, peel, and slice into 1-inch chunks.
- Slice the red onion into thin slivers.
- Peel the orange, slice into 1/4-inch cartwheels, and quarter.
- Slice the pimiento into strips.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, orange slices, and pimientos. Mix together the oil and vinegar briefly, pour over the salad, and fold gently with a rubber spatula.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until well chilled.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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January 21st, 2009 at 12:01 am
An unusual and interesting salad! I bet it tastes really good!
Cheers,
Rosa
January 21st, 2009 at 12:38 am
oh.. this looks so chic and sexy!!! I used to suck the pimientos out from olives — I love cherry peppers… you post on Brioche… BEAUTIFUL!!! This salad looks so delish..
January 21st, 2009 at 1:11 am
It is a wonderful recipe full of flavor with the pimento. Very nice! I just love your recipes.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:04 am
Ciao ! I love this salad ! In Southern Italy they make it only with raw fennel, oranges and black olives I shoul try this version !!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:38 am
Interesting combo-at first I thought it was a fruit salad! I’m intrigued for sure…
January 21st, 2009 at 4:26 am
now this is making my tastebud tingle!
January 21st, 2009 at 7:42 am
This simple combination has won me over. Valenciana oranges and potatoes sound like a great combination.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:14 am
Looks delicious and colorful!
January 21st, 2009 at 8:25 am
What an interesting combination…I would have never thought about combining potatoes with oranges. The salad looks very pretty.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:56 am
Mmm. Looks travel worthy. Good new traveling food makes my heart flutter. I’ve wanted that book for a while…think I should get it? I think I should.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:48 am
I have a feeling potato and orange would work for me…because I’m a big baby and don’t like strange foods to go together.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hmm…that was supposed to say “wouldn’t work for me” – Freudian slip? Probably not…
January 21st, 2009 at 11:06 am
what?!?! oranges and potatoes?!?! the thought of combining the two has never crossed my mind, but i’m certainly willing to try–i love me some taters.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Beautiful flavours. I’ve been jonesing for some sort of potato salad lately: maybe this will do the trick. I love red onions and potatoes together.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:11 pm
This sounds interesting. Maybe it’s time to revisit my Penelope Casas cookbook. I have used it just once or twice (vegetable and chorizo tortilla, I think) since I bought it over 3 years ago.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
this is very healthy looking. a 2009 resolution? i guess not after the ensaimada
January 21st, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Wow! I would have never thought to put those things together. But somehow I can definitely see how they marry. Beautiful colors Jude!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I was never aware of such a combination, which only shows, alas, my limited imagination and your exquisite talent at paring flavours!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I have never seen a salad like this and never would have put potatoes and oranges together, but you’re piqued my curiosity. It looks great and I’ll have to give this a shot
January 21st, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Nice one Jude. Very simple and elegant. I can see how the quality of the ingredients would really shine in this dish. Hmm, wonder how it would look w/ the Peruvian purple potatoes?
January 21st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Hi Jude!
Beautiful texture and depth in this Spanish ensalada..salad …pairing with a Spanish good red wine fit perfect
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:15 am
I’ve been on a ’salad with citrus’ binge lately – Thai pomelo salad, mandarins w/marinated cukes, etc. This is hitting all the buttons for me! Your photography beautifully enhances a simple but lovely recipe.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 am
Thanks for being a refreshing blog and providing such an enjoyable blog to read! As a result, I’ve nominated you for an award! You can view it here:
http://joelens.blogspot.com/2009/01/lemonade-award.html
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:19 am
What a unique combination of flavours! Looks really tasty!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:29 am
That’s a great looking salad. I’m imagining the red wine vinaigrette is perfect with oranges and potatoes.
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Delicious- what a lovely winter salad!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
That is an interesting salad/ I would like to try it. I have roasted peppers in the freezer to use… hmmm.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:44 am
oranges give a wonderful & unique flavour to this interesting salad.
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
Very interesting combination! But all of my favorites tossed toghether here. Oranges add that “refresh” feeling anyplace.
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:10 am
What an interesting combination…
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 am
When they say simple is sometimes the best, I think this is what they’re eating! That is really beautiful.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:05 am
So unusual and creative! Sounds and looks filling and delish!
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
You have this magic of making even the simplest of things look so beautiful! Or is it that you make us see the beauty in those “simple” thigs. Whatever, it is a pleasure to the eyes.
The salad is lovely! Never tried to combine oranges with potatoes. Have lots at hand and a nice orange too. Just have to check if hubby is ready for the “experiment”, as he calls them, too.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I’ve been pushing myself to experiment with more unusual flavor combinations. This counts, and is most definitely a salad I will make at home.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Mmm the red onion and orange play well together.
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I agree with PG,simple items,but you prepared an exciting salad.Amazing pics as well.Never ever combined potato and oranges.
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Oh, I am excited about this recipe as I recently planted a CITRUS SALAD TREE which has three types of oranges and one type of lime on the same tree. I am not a big orange juice fan, but this recipe with potatoes will be perfect. Thanks.
LL
January 24th, 2009 at 12:36 am
This salad is wonderful! It’s so fresh, colorful and the textures are fabulous too! I’ve been loving the citrus season lately, so this salad is perfect for next week.
January 24th, 2009 at 9:50 am
perhaps, it’s time for me to make some homemade pimientos too, the salad looks inviting
January 24th, 2009 at 9:52 am
perhaps, it’s time for me to make some homemade pimientos too, the salad looks inviting
January 24th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Ooh, pretty.
I make a salad with potato and orange, but it’s more Caribbean in flavor (w/prawns, corn, cilantro and a hot citrus mojo).
Just when I think I’m getting good, I realize there is so much for me to learn.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
What an interesting mix of flavors! The colors are nice, too.
January 26th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
This is so inventive. I would never have thought to put potatoes and oranges together. Think it would be good with sweet potatoes too? I’m not usually a white potato person, but I think I would like them in this
January 26th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Natalia – Fennel sounds great with this salad. Need to try that out.
Tommi – No pretty pictures but this book is a pretty solid collection of classic recipes.
Paoix – What resolution?
Heather – I have no idea what a hot citrus mojo is but I want it.
Maggie – I’m sure sweet potatoes are also worth a try. They might fall apart, though, so I’d go for large chunks.
I never thought potatoes and oranges was such a weird combination for many. So refreshing and works well for me, though! Right in between sweet and savory.
January 26th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Looks great. Very interesting combo. I would never have thought of that.
February 7th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I have never put potatoes and oranges together, but I will now. I thrive on putting fruits and vegetables together and what a colorful way to dress up potatoes for a healthier “potato salad.”
Thanks for tips on making pimento. I hate buying those little jars and then forgetting they are in the fridge and I need them for my crab cake recipe.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
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December 20th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Great idea this. It is always difficult to thin of varied things to cook especially for a hungry family and some of the ideas here and elsewhere on your site have given me some great ideas so thak you!