Marcella Hazan’s Orange and Cucumber Salad
This orange and cucumber salad is one of the freshest recipes I’ve made from Marcella Hazan’s collection. Thinly sliced cucumber and radishes are tossed with fresh orange, mint, and a simple lemon and olive oil dressing.
It reminded me of the tomato, cucumber, and onion salad with basil I made earlier this summer, but the flavor is quite different. The radishes make this one earthier, while the orange adds sweetness and makes it less tart than the vinegar-dressed tomato salad.
Marcella recommends serving the salad right away. We enjoyed it fresh, but also tried it after about two hours in the refrigerator and preferred it chilled. The flavors had more time to combine, and on a hot day, the cold salad was especially refreshing.
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About this Recipe
The dressing for this salad is made with equal parts olive oil and fresh lemon juice, seasoned with salt. I also added a little lemon zest for additional citrus flavor. As the salad sits, some of the juice from the oranges mixes with the dressing, making it even more flavorful.
The texture matters here, too. The cucumber and radishes are sliced very thinly, while the oranges add sweetness and a softer, juicier texture. Mint adds freshness, but a little goes a long way.
Ingredients
- Oranges
- English cucumber
- Radishes
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest, optional
- Olive oil
- Salt
Ingredient Notes
1. English Cucumber
I used an English cucumber because I find the skin less tough and the cucumber itself more flavorful. Since the cucumber isn’t peeled, a thin, tender skin works particularly well here.
I used a handheld slicer on a low setting to cut the cucumber into very thin rounds. Keeping the slices thin makes the salad easier to toss and allows them to pick up more of the citrus juices.
2. Radishes
There’s no need to peel the radishes. I used a thinner slicer setting than I did for the cucumber, since thicker radish slices can easily overwhelm the other ingredients.
The radishes give this salad much of its earthy flavor and provide a slightly sharper contrast to the sweet orange.
3. Fresh Mint Leaves
A little mint goes a long way in this salad. You want enough to add freshness without making mint the dominant flavor.
If you’re refrigerating the salad before serving, I’d wait to add the mint until the end. That keeps the leaves fresher and prevents their flavor from becoming too strong as the salad sits.
The Recipe
Marcella Hazan’s Orange and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 3 oranges
- 6 red radishes, small
- ¼ tsp lemon zest (optional)
- fresh mint leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- juice from ½ a lemon
- salt
Instructions
- Slice the cucumber thinly and place inside the serving bowl.
- Peel the oranges, removing the pith. Cut into thin rounds, pick out any seeds, and layer on top of the cucumber.
- Without peeling them, slice the radishes thinly and place in the serving bowl on top of the oranges.
- Tear several mint leaves and add them to the serving bowl.
- In a small bowl, add equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. Add the optional zest and mix well with a fork or whisk. Salt to taste.
- Pour the lemon dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly. Garnish with additional mint leaves and serve.
Cooking Tip: Peeling the Oranges
Removing the white pith is important because it can be extremely bitter. I start by cutting off the top and bottom of each orange so it sits securely on the cutting board. Then, using a sharp knife, I work around the orange in small sections, cutting away the peel and pith just until I reach the flesh.
Go slowly here. You want to remove as much of the white pith as possible without cutting away too much of the orange.
Once peeled, I slice the oranges into thin rounds with a knife. They’re too delicate for the handheld slicer.
One thing I’d do differently next time is cut the orange rounds into quarters. My orange slices were noticeably larger in diameter than the cucumber and radishes, and smaller pieces would have made the salad easier to toss and eat. Many of the orange slices broke apart while tossing anyway, so quartering them from the beginning makes sense.
Serve With
- Grilled or roasted chicken
- Pan-roasted chicken with rosemary, garlic, and white wine
- Fricasseed chicken with rosemary and lemon
- Simply prepared fish
- Grilled pork
- A frittata for a light lunch
- Crusty Italian bread
Wine Pairing: Vermentino
The wine’s bright acidity works well with the fresh lemon and orange without making the salad taste more tart than it is. Vermentino also often has citrus, herbal, and slightly mineral notes that fit particularly well with the cucumber, radishes, and mint.
I especially liked how the pairing handled the earthiness of the radishes. The wine stayed fresh alongside them while the citrus flavors connected naturally with the orange and lemon in the salad.
Serve it well chilled, particularly if you’re serving the salad cold on a hot day.
To learn more about Vermentino, including tasting notes, serving tips, and food pairings, visit the full guide below.
I expected this to be another very simple cucumber salad, but the combination of orange and radish made it quite different from the tomato and cucumber salad I’d made earlier in the summer.
Without vinegar, the salad is softer and less tart. The radishes give it an earthy quality, while the oranges add sweetness and release enough juice to combine with the lemon and salt into a light dressing.
Marcella recommends serving the salad immediately, but we preferred it after about two hours in the refrigerator. The flavors had more time to combine, the cucumber and radishes retained their texture, and the salad was especially refreshing served cold.
I wouldn’t make it far in advance, and I’d wait to add the mint until just before serving. Give everything one final gentle toss and serve.
For the tools and ingredients used here, visit the shop page.
If you liked this recipe, you might also like:
- Frittata with Tomatoes and Basil
- Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad with Basil
- Pan-Roasted Chicken with Rosemary, Garlic, and White Wine
Download the Italian Wine Pairing Guide for a quick reference when choosing wine:
Next up in Cooking the Classics: Oven-Browned Tomatoes from Marcella Hazan
About Stephanie
I’m cooking through classic cookbooks one recipe at a time, sharing tested recipes, wine pairings, and what I learn along the way. Each post includes notes from my own kitchen, along with practical wine recommendations designed to make choosing a bottle a little easier.
