This fun salad is a great, healthy little appetizer for a Halloween themed dinner. The oranges serve as bowls, jack-o-lanterns, and you get to eat the orange in the salad. The lovely citrus goes great with the sesame flavored dressing. You don’t have to go all Michelangelo on the carving. A few triangles and some mouth-looking shape will do the job, and will definitely be a highlight of the meal.
Note: peanuts are pictured, but they are hard on the digestive system so we swapped them for walnuts.
Photo Credit: Cadry’s Kitchen
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Yield: 4 Jack-o-Lanterns
- Category: Appetizers & Snacks, Salads & Dressings, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Jacks
- 4 medium-sized oranges
- 2 c romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped small
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp. low sodium miso paste
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp. ginger powder
- 2 tsp. liquid aminos
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 c walnuts
Instructions
For the Jacks
- Cut the tops off the oranges to make the jack-o-lantern opening. Carefully cut around the inside edges of the orange to remove as much of the orange flesh as you can. Dice it once you take it out and remove any seeds you find. That's your pre-meal snack. Use a spoon to remove the rest of the orange flesh, and then cut out a simple jack-o-lantern face in the orange with a small knife.
- Add some romaine lettuce, celery, carrot, and bell pepper to each orange. Top the little salads with diced oranges (optional) and walnuts. Serve with the dressing on the side so guests can dress their own salads.
For the Dressing
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and pulse until you get a smooth consistency. If the dressing is too thick, you can add a tablespoon of water to thin it out. You can store the dressing in the fridge for up to 5 days.
