This fennel and orange salad is a great seasonal winter salad. It's Italian, typical of Sicily and it's super simple to make, ready in minutes and full of flavour! This colorful salad is also a bright dish, making it visually appealing and vibrant on any table.
This salad is super refreshing and the perfect winter side dish or appetizer. It is easy and quick to make and is a simple salad that is also an inexpensive and seasonal salad recipe.
The fennel is crunchy and it adds a nice licorice flavour and the orange is juicy, sweet and tangy. It is served with a simple dressing made of olive oil, the juice of the orange, salt and pepper. The combination of fennel and orange creates fun flavors that make every bite exciting and memorable.
This is a traditional Italian recipe but there are many versions. This one follows the version where olives are added. Other versions include raw red onion and pine nuts.
Why you will love this Sicilian fennel and orange salad:
It is:
- Seasonal
- Full of flavour and textures
- Easy to make
- Light and makes the perfect side
- Ideal for brightening up a winter meal
- Vegan, plant based, dairy-free, gluten-free
Understanding Fennel
Fennel is a star ingredient in the fennel orange salad, bringing a crisp, crunchy texture and a subtle sweetness with hints of anise. This aromatic vegetable is part of the carrot family and is prized in Mediterranean salad recipes for its refreshing flavor and versatility.
When preparing fennel for your orange salad, you can use almost every part of the plant-from the bulb, which is sliced thinly for that signature crunch, to the feathery fronds, which make a beautiful garnish. Including fennel in your salad recipe not only adds a unique twist but also helps reduce food waste, as the entire vegetable can be enjoyed.
Whether you're new to fennel or a seasoned fan, its bright, clean taste is sure to elevate any salad, especially when paired with juicy oranges in this classic fennel orange combination.
What you will need for this fennel and orange salad?
The combination of fennel and orange might actually sound strange. However, they are perfect together and they are often used like this. The citrussy flavour of the orange are great with the licorice or anise-like flavour of the fennels. The different textures also work great together, the crunchiness of the fennel and the juiciness of the orange.
Fennel - This recipe is great in the colder months when fennels are in season. In this recipe we use the whole fennel, even the green bits, which might not be included in the traditional recipe, but it's a shame to waste. Save the fennel fronds to roughly chop and use as a garnish.
Orange - Any type of orange that is meant for eating and not juicing will work. These include cara cara, navel and blood oranges. You can also use sumo citrus or sweet oranges as alternatives. To peel oranges, use a sharp knife or paring knife to remove the peel and white pith, making sure to avoid the bitter white pith.
Olive oil - The highest quality you can get, the dressing is very simple so it requires good quality ingredients.
Black or Taggiasca Olives - this is an addition to the recipe that is completely optional.
How to cut an orange into supremes
It might sound complicated but it's really easy. All you need to do it:
1. Cut off the ends of the orange. You have to cut through the pit and you need to be able to see some of the orange flesh.
2. Cut off the peel. Cut the rest of the peel following the round shape of the orange. You only want to remove the peel, try to remove as little as possible of the actual flesh.
3. Cut into segments. Cut out the segments in between the white membranes. Cut just on the side of the white "line" of the membrane, on both sides, and the segment will come off.
How to make it
- Cut the fennel into thin slices, then place into ice cold water for around 5/10 minutes.
2. Cut the orange into segments as explained above, and squeeze the remaining of the orange to obtain the juice and place everything in a bowl. Season everything with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Drain the fennels and season with olive oil, the orange juice, salt and pepper and let infuse for 5 minutes or so.
4. Then plate everything by combining all the ingredients. As this version is a fennel and orange salad with olives, I also added some black olives but you can add any toppings. Enjoy!
Tips
Use High Quality Ingredients - the ingredients in this recipe are very simple and few, hence why it's super important to use high quality as they will taste so much better. For the best flavor and crunchy texture, always use fresh fennel when it's in season. It's especially true for olive oil, which makes up the dressing. It is important to use olive oil and not general oils as they are more neutral in flavour.
Play with the textures - I try to cut the fennel in think big slices but you can experiment even with different sized to see what you prefer.
Use the whole fennel - A part from the bottom bit, you can eat the whole fennels and the stalks actually create a really nice looking salad, so be sure to include all edible parts!
Play with additions: the classic version only includes fennel and orange but you can add pine nuts, raw red onions, raisins or black olives like I did.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with fennel orange salad:
Did you make this recipe?
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Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Fennel bulb whole, cut into slices
- 2 Medium oranges into segments
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- Salt and pepper taste
- ⅓ cup Black olives optional
Instructions
- Cut the fennel into thin slices, then place into ice cold water for around 5/10 minutes.
- Cut the orange into segments without the peels as shown above, and squeeze the remaining of the orange to obtain the juice and put everything into a bowl. Season everything with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Drain the fennels and season with olive oil, the orange juice, salt and pepper and let infuse for 5 minutes or so.
- Then plate everything my combining all the ingredients, including the black olives as topping. Enjoy!
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