Blood oranges, the star ingredient in this salad, are, like other oranges and citrus fruits, very high in Vitamin C. This is a particular boon in salads or if you eat them with steamed greens, because Vitamin C can aid in the absorption of the calcium and iron in the greens. Unlike other citrus fruits, blood oranges contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant compound that is also responsible for the scarlet color in beets. It gives them their characteristic hue, which is so beautiful in dishes of all kinds. This is the season for blood oranges—they’re typically grown and harvested between December and March—so it’s worth picking some up if you see them at your market. I’m now in love with the simple vinaigrette I made for this salad, in which I used a whole blended blood orange!

Blood Orange Kale Salad with Almonds

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch (about 8 leaves, stems removed) curly kale, washed, dried, and chopped
• 4 blood oranges
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (hemp oil is also great, but will have a more distinctive flavor, whereas olive will be more neutral)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Remove the skins and pith from the oranges. Cut three of them into segments and set the fourth aside for dressing.
2. Combine the non-segmented orange, the olive oil, the lemon, the maple syrup, and the salt and pepper in a blender and blend to combine. If your blender isn’t very strong, you can use 3 tbsp blood orange juice in place of the whole orange. Set dressing aside.
3. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl. Massage the vinaigrette into the kale with your hands. You can use as much as you like; I like a very well-dressed kale salad!
4. Add the sectioned oranges and almonds and pepper to the salad. Re-mix, and serve.

Source – ChoosingRaw