Orange and Fennel Salad

Citrus fruits are plentiful at this time of the year in all Mediterranean countries and they are used extensively in all sorts of dishes, both sweet and savory. During the winter months, when good tomatoes or other typical salad vegetables are not as abundant, oranges take center stage in salads.

Orange and Fennel Salad, is a delicious seasonal salad, with crisp, thinly-sliced fennel, mixed with sliced sweet oranges, pungent red onion and mellow, olive oil-cured olives.  The salad is then tossed with a simple orange vinaigrette for a surprisingly refreshing salad.

This salad pairs so well with your favorite grilled fish or chicken and you can even make it ahead of time.  Arrange the salad ingredients on a large platter and make the vinaigrette separately.  Just before serving, toss everything together and enjoy!

Orange and Fennel Salad

 

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A bright and super flavorful winter salad

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

• 2 med. navel oranges
• 1 med. fennel bulb, cored
• ¼ sm. red onion (or a shallot), thinly sliced
• ¼ cup radishes, sliced (optional)
• ½ cup olive oil-cured black olives, pitted
• 4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP. orange juice, freshly squeezed
• --- --- salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Working with one orange at a time, cut off the top and the bottom to expose the fruit. Slice off the peel in strips, cutting around the contour of the orange to expose the fruit. Repeat with the second orange. Cut the oranges into slices ¼” thick.
2. Cut off the stems and the fronds of the fennel bulb. Halve it length-wise, remove the core and the outer layer and discard. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife slice each half thinly crosswise and set aside. Slice the red onion and radishes (if using) and set aside as well.
3. Arrange the oranges, fennel and onion on a platter. Scatter the olives and the radishes over all. Wisk together the olive oil, the orange juice and the seasoning and then drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can easily substitute blood oranges for the navels for a wonderful variation

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