Winter Citrus Salad & Green Harissa
Green harissa (with jalapeño & cilantro), Brussels sprouts two ways (fresh & sautéed), orange slices, poppy seed vinaigrette, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, pine nuts & nigella seeds
This salad-turned-pizza is a great way to turn wintry ingredients into a light, fresh & bright meal, especially when everything else around this time of year feels heavy and hearty. I love anything citrusy this time of year, and pairing it with a bunch of greens, a little spice and some smooth Greek yogurt is the perfect healthy-ish solution to make us feel better about the fact that we'll probably just eat the whole pizza.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ball of pizza dough
olive oil
salt & pepper
flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone
1 hunk Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
handful of pine nuts
~1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
For the harissa:
1 small jalapeño, seeded & chopped
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
For the salad:
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 small oranges (or other citrus)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 550° F, or as hot as it will go. While it's heating, make the harissa by pureeing all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, until mostly smooth.
Next, prepare your winter salad. Remove the larger outer leaves from your Brussels sprout halves and set them aside in a large bowl. Divide the remaining sprouts into two equal groups. For the first group, slice them thinly, then add them to the bowl with the outer leaves.
For the second group of Brussels sprouts, cook them in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, tossing occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Trim the ends off your citrus fruits. Cut the peel and pith from the fruit, going along the edges from top to bottom. Divide the fully peeled oranges into two groups. For the group 1, cut them in half and slice them into half moons.
For group 2, cut the orange segments out of the membranes, holding them over a bowl to collect the juice. You'll want 3 tablespoons of juice, so if you need to squeeze the segments a bit to get extra, go for it. Then add the segments to the bowl of sliced half moons.
To make the dressing for the salad, whisk the 3 tablespoons of orange juice along with the vinegar & poppy seeds, and season with salt. Add the oranges & dressing to a large bowl with all of your Brussels sprouts. Season to taste.
Next, prepare your dough using the instructions on the right. After you've baked it for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil. Spread an even layer of harissa across the dough, followed by the Parmesan cheese. Add the salad on top and sprinkle with a pinch of nigella seeds and some pine nuts.
Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown, then take it out and dollop with Greek yogurt. Drizzle some of the remaining harissa on top, sprinkle a few more nigella seeds, and enjoy!