Vibrant colours and a lively contrast in flavours and textures in this watermelon radish salad will brighten any meal. Nestled in a bed of baby spinach, sweet Satsuma oranges and maple-glazed pecans round out this winter salad.
This healthy watermelon radish salad is bursting with vibrant colour! Sweet Satsuma oranges and maple-glazed pecans give it natural sweetness, while crisp, peppery watermelon radishes add a pop of colour.
It's topped with creamy crumbled goat cheese and tossed with a simple quick-to-mix oil and vinegar dressing (with an option to use a specialty Cara Cara Orange Vanilla white balsamic vinegar.)
Sound good? Ready to brighten your table with this winter watermelon radish salad?
🛒 Ingredients
This recipe makes enough for 2 large servings or 4 side salads. You will need:
- a watermelon radish
- oranges: try Satsuma or Cara Cara oranges or mandarins
- baby spinach leaves
- goat cheese: I like a mild, creamy goat cheese like the Kirkland brand sold at Costco.
- pecans: glazed with a little pure maple syrup and sprinkled with sea salt
- black sesame seeds: for garnish
- extra virgin olive oil
- Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White Balsamic Vinegar: available in specialty olive oil stores, or substitute champagne vinegar, or make a simple Lemon Vinaigrette
🔪 Instructions
- Arrange the salad ingredients on a platter or on individual serving plates, beginning with a bed of baby spinach leaves.
- Nest, add radishes, orange segments, maple-glazed pecans and crumbled goat cheese.
- Drizzle or toss with dressing, then garnish with a few black sesame seeds.
- Serve and devour this healthy spinach salad!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Watermelon radishes are a relative of Daikon radishes. They have a peppery flavour that is milder than garden radishes. Their exterior is white and nondescript, but their interior is stunningly pink and magenta. Just like garden radishes, you do not need to peel watermelon radishes unless the exterior has been bruised or damaged.
While you can roast them and serve them as a cooked vegetable, I prefer to serve them raw as I did in this citrus spinach salad. Cooking will dull the colour.
You can find them in many grocery stores in the produce section, and usually in specialty stores like Whole Foods, depending on the season.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
- It's best to use a mandoline to slice watermelon radishes, so you can create paper-thin slices. A very sharp knife will also work, but you won't be able to slice them as thinly. I like to cut the slices in half or roll some of them to make them easier to pick up with a fork.
- While the pith on orange segments can be nutritious, I like to remove it to make salads look more appealing. A gentle scrub with a vegetable brush under running water makes this task easy.
- To make maple-glazed pecans, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and maple syrup and heat, swirling the pan and watching closely, as they will burn quickly if left unattended. Once they become fragrant and are beginning to brown, remove the pecans to a piece of parchment paper or a clean plate. Next, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and set aside to cool.
🔁 Possible Substitutions
- I used the most simple dressing possible on this winter watermelon salad recipe! I combined a little olive oil with one of my favourite specialty balsamic vinegars: Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White Balsamic Vinegar. It adds a touch of sweetness and citrus notes.
- However, you can substitute Champagne Vinegar, or make a simple Lemon Vinaigrette, like I used in this Fennel Apple Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Spice Pecans.
- You can substitute feta cheese for the goat cheese in this recipe.
- Use the sweetest oranges you can find! They make a nice contrast with the peppery radish.
- No pecans? Try Maple-Glazed Walnuts instead.
🗒 More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Pomegranate Mandarin Salad with Avocado and Feta
- Orange Date and Pomegranate Spinach Salad
- Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate
- Kiwi Mandarin Spinach Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Winter Citrus Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese
- 6 Dinner Salads that Will Fill you Up
- Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
When you make this winter salad with watermelon radishes, please leave a comment and a rating below. I love hearing when you've made one of my recipes. Thanks in advance!
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Watermelon Radish and Satsuma Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed, dried, tough stems removed
- 1 medium watermelon radish
- 2 medium Satsuma oranges, or Cara Cara oranges or mandarins
- 2 oz (60 gm) goat cheese
- ¼ cup pecans
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, optional
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 tablespoon Cara Cara Vanilla White Balsamic Vinegar or champagne vinegar
Instructions
- Wash and dry spinach and trim tough stems.
- Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice the watermelon radish into paper thin slices.
- Peel oranges and remove as much of the pith as possible. Brushing the peeled oranges under running water with a soft vegetable brush works well for this task.
- To make Maple-Glazed Pecans, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and maple syrup and heat, swirling the pan and watching closely, as they will burn quickly if left unattended. Once they become fragrant and are beginning to brown, remove the pecans to a piece of parchment paper or a clean plate. Next, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and set aside to cool.
- Arrange the salad ingredients on a platter or on individual serving plates, beginning with a bed of baby spinach leaves, then add radishes, oranges, maple-glazed pecans and crumbled goat cheese. Whisk olive oil and white balsamic vinegar together and toss or drizzle on salad. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve.
Kim
Looks so fresh and delicious! i love the additions of the nuts and goat cheese - that salty-sweet, creamy combination is fantastic.
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This is such a gorgeous salad, Elaine! I can imagine serving it at a ladies luncheon, although, in fact, I think that I would create an event around your salad. I must look for the specialty Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White Balsamic Vinegar. It sounds like a wonderful pairing with these colourfully fresh ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much, Denise! You're right--it would make a great luncheon salad! Thanks for commenting!
Cathy
I must find myself some watermelon radishes. We had some in Florida once. Until then, I've Pinned this. 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Cathy. I get pretty excited when I find them, lol!
marilyn @family food around the clock
What a gorgeous salad! you have added so many different flavoured elements! I for sure will try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Marilyn! Hope you love it as much as we do!
Leslie
Yum! What a lovely winter salad! Satsumas are perfect at this time of year and watermelon radishes are incredibly beautiful!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Leslie! I love adding citrus fruit to salad and you're right: Satsumas are at their peak right now. Thanks for commenting!
Marisa
I’ve never had watermelon radishes but I’m totally loving it in this pretty and colourful salad. It looks amazing!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Marisa! I jump for joy when I find watermelon radishes! They're so pretty in a salad.
Colleen
Elaine, beautiful food is always the most delicious, and this salad is just that. Not only beautiful, but the radish, orange, and pecans make a beautiful flavour combo that I just can't wait to try! Pinning!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much, Colleen! Yes---we eat with our eyes first, don't we!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Vibrant indeed! What a pretty looking salad! Love the crispness from the radish and the bright citrus! Everyone's winter needs this beauty 🙂 Gotta look out for the watermelon radish next time I'm at the grocery. Pinned!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Dawn! Yes, bleak winter days need bright colours and lots of Vitamin C!