Moroccan Orange Salad

Moroccan Orange Salad

{from: Pure Vegan: 70 Recipes for Beautiful Meals and Clean Living}

Serves 6

Like an oasis in the desert, this perfumed salad combines an exotic array of ingredients with sweet, juicy oranges. Pomegranate molasses (a sweet-tart syrupy reduction of pure pomegranate juice), three varieties of orange flavor, nuts, and dried fruit are interwoven to create a tapestry of color and scents.

12 oranges

1/3 cup pomegranate molasses

1/3 cup agave syrup

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

2 teaspoons orange blossom water

12 dates, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Working over a large bowl to catch the juice, use a sharp paring knife to trim the peel and white pith away from the oranges. Remove the seeds and cut into 1-inch dice, or simply separate the sections.

In a small bowl, combine the pomegranate molasses, agave syrup, Grand Marnier, and orange blossom water and stir until smooth.

In a large serving bowl, combine the oranges, dates, and pistachios and stir gently until well combined. To serve the salad chilled, refrigerate the orange mixture for 1 to 2 hours at this point, or you can serve it right away at room temperature. In either case, just before serving, pour the pomegranate molasses mixture over the salad, stir gently until everything is evenly coated, then garnish with the mint.