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 salad is super refreshing and the perfect winter side dish or appetizer. It is easy and quick to make and its 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.
This is a traditional Italian recipe. The olives addition is a version of the traditional recipe which only includes fennel and orange. Other substitutions 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
- Vegan, plant based, dairy-free, gluten-free
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.
- Orange – Any type of orange that is meant for eating and not juicing will work. These include cara cara, navel and blood oranges. Oranges in this dish are cut in a particular way, it’s called surpreming. This means that the orange is cut into supremes that are peeled sections without the pith. This cut is perfect for salads.
- Olive oil – The highest quality you can get, the dressing is very simple so it requires good quality ingredients.
- Black 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. 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. 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 cut the fennel in quite big slices but you can experiment even with very thin slices 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.
How to pair this salad with fennel and orange
Have a look at these Italian recipes that would go well with this salad:
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below, give it a rating or share your recreation on Instagram and tag me at @recipesandplaces or use the hashtag #recipesandplaces
I love to see recreations and share them!
Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Fennel bulb whole, cut into slices
- 2 Medium oranges into segments
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt and pepper taste
- 1/3 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!
Nutrition
