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    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes » Orange and Fennel Salad

    Orange and Fennel Salad

    Published: Aug 12, 2020 Modified: Apr 17, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Bright and zesty Orange and Fennel Salad is the citrus salad of your dreams! Crunchy and sweet fennel with tangy, juicy orange and crisp red onions pair together deliciously in this easy, wholesome salad recipe.

    Similar to the fennel salad Barefoot Contessa makes, this super simple salad recipe uses a vinaigrette citrus salad dressing of fresh orange juice and olive oil. It is so yummy!

    Close up of orange fennel salad

    Your New Favorite Salad

    With its bright, sweet, and zesty flavors, fennel and orange salad is a perfect side salad or citrus salad recipe for lunch. It makes a fantastic winter salad recipe during orange season, but it’s also a great choice for spring and summer.

    There is a lot to love about this orange and fennel salad! I like to pair it with a perfect steak recipe or even shrimp scampi. It’s also just plain delicious all on its own with some salad greens!

    Bright and beautiful, it brings color and flavor to the family table! That’s what makes fennel orange salad one of my favorite potluck and holiday salad recipes, especially for Easter. Try it out, and I know it will be a favorite of yours, too!

    Orange and fennel salad on plates

    Orange and Fennel Salad Ingredients

    • 2 navel oranges
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 2 medium fennel bulbs (about 1 ¾ lbs.)
    • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

    The beautiful citrus salad dressing in this recipe is homemade using olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed orange juice. After you finish the salad, you can add a little red wine vinegar for extra flavor, if you like.

    What really makes this fennel salad stand out is its presentation. Orange and fennel salad has so much color, especially when served over a bed of greens.

    If you want to add greens, I recommend serving your salad over a spring salad mix that includes red leaf lettuce and arugula. This gives it an extra pop of color – and arugula fennel salad is delicious!

    Ingredients for orange and fennel salad on a white background

    How to Make Fennel Salad with Orange

    There are just three steps to making orange fennel salad:

    1. Preparing the oranges and making the citrus salad dressing
    2. Preparing and cutting the fennel bulbs
    3. Assembling the fennel orange salad

    How to Supreme an Orange and Make Citrus Salad Dressing

    1. Finely grate the zest of 1 orange into a medium bowl.
      Zest of an orange and an orange on a black plate with a grater
      Then, using a serrated knife, trim off the top and bottom of 2 oranges. Cut away the skin each orange, one at a time.

      Completely peel the orange of its peel and pith (the white stringy skin connecting the peel to the orange). This is called supreming an orange. Do this for both oranges.

      If cut correctly, the orange should have very little white skin and no peel remaining.
    2. Cut each orange horizontally into ¼″ rounds.
      Fresh cut oranges on a black plate
      Squeeze enough orange rounds in your hands over the bowl with the zest to produce about 2 tablespoons of orange juice.
      Squeezing an orange into a bowl for orange fennel salad
      Cover and refrigerate the remaining orange rounds.
    3. Whisk 2 Tbsp. of olive oil into the bowl with the orange zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

      Remember, you can always add more, but can’t take it out – so start with a small amount, taste, and season more as necessary.

    How to Cut Fennel for Salad

    1. Cut the top stalks off of 2 medium fennel bulbs.
      Slicing fennel for orange fennel salad
      Reserve the fronds and stalks – you can use them later.
      Sliced fennel for an orange and fennel salad
    2. Cut each bulb in half vertically. With a knife, Y-slicer, or mandoline slicer, cut the fennel into slices about 1/16″ thick.
      Sliced fennel on a cutting board for orange and fennel salad
    3. Transfer the sliced fennel bulbs to a medium bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover with cling wrap and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
      Sliced fennel in a glass bowl

    Assembling the Orange and Fennel Salad

    1. Cut 1 small red onion into half-moons. Start by cutting off the stem end of the onion. Then, slice in half through the opposite end (the root).

      Peel off the outer layer of skin from the onion. Set the onion cut-side down on the cutting board, and slice into half-moons.
    2. Taste the salad just before serving. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper and add 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar if you prefer less sweetness.

      If serving over salad greens, add the orange and fennel salad to the greens. I recommend a spring salad mix using red leaf lettuce and arugula for the best flavor.

      Coarsely chop about 1 Tbsp. of your reserved fennel fronds and sprinkle them over the salad.
    Close up of orange fennel salad on a plate

    Easy Salad Recipes

    • Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
    • Burrata Salad
    • Grilled Chicken Salad
    • Strawberry Chicken Salad
    • Lemon Kale Caesar Salad

    Check out our Fennel Salad Web Story!

    This recipe makes a great side dish for the holidays. Pair it with my other Side Dishes for Ham, Side Dishes for Prime Rib or Christmas Side Dishes!

    A black plate of orange and fennel salad

    📋 Recipe

    Orange and fennel salad on a black plate

    Zesty & Tangy Orange and Fennel Salad

    Isabel Laessig
    With its bright, sweet, and zesty flavors, Orange and Fennel Salad is a perfect side salad or citrus salad recipe for lunch!
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 98 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 navel oranges
    • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 2 medium fennel bulbs about 1¾ pounds
    • 1 small red onion sliced into half-moons
    • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar optional
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • Finely grate zest from 1 orange into a medium bowl. Then, using a serrated knife, trim off the top and bottom from 2 oranges.
      Cut away the skin from one orange at a time, completely peeling the orange of its peel and pith (the white stringy skin connecting the peel to the orange). This is called supreming the orange.
      Fresh cut oranges on a black plate
    • Cut each orange horizontally into ¼” rounds. Squeeze enough rounds in your hands for 2 Tbsp. of juice, then cover and refrigerate the remaining rounds.
      Add the orange juice to a bowl with the zest. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
      Squeezing an orange into a bowl for orange fennel salad
    • Cut off the top stalks from 2 medium fennel bulbs. Reserve the fronds and stalks.
      Sliced fennel for an orange and fennel salad
    • Cut each bulb in half vertically. Using a knife, V-slicer, or mandoline slicer, cut the fennel into slices about 1/16” thick.
      Transfer the sliced fennel bulbs to a medium bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes to up to 2 hours.
      Sliced fennel in a glass bowl
    • Cut 1 small red onion into half-moons. Start by cutting off the stem end of the onion. Then, slice in half through the opposite end (the root). Peel off the outer layer of skin from the onion. Set the onion cut-side down on the cutting board, and slice into half-moons.
      Sliced fennel on a cutting board for orange and fennel salad
    • Just before serving, taste the salad. Add 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar if you desire. Adjust the salad to taste with salt and pepper, then serve over reserved orange slices. Coarsely chop a Tbsp. of fennel fronds and sprinkle over the salad, then serve chilled.
      Orange and fennel salad on plates

    Notes

    • Try serving this salad over a bed of spring salad mix! Red leaf lettuce and arugula are great choices for pairing with orange fennel salad.
    • If serving over lettuce, wait until after the salad is done marinating and is chilled before adding the lettuce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 220IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword citrus salad recipe, fennel salad, orange fennel salad, Orange salad
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!

    Adapted from Frankie Avalon’s Italian Family Cookbook

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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Antionette Wecker says

      November 12, 2020 at 8:47 am

      4 stars
      This salad was delightful! Very flavorful but not overwhelming. I served over a spring mix lettuce. I will make it again. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 12, 2020 at 11:06 am

        Antionette, thank you so much for your comment! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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