Citrus & Fennel Salad

A fun fact about me is that I despise licorice, but am somehow obsessed with fennel. I understand that they’re not the same thing, but the flavors are similar enough for that to be weird, right?

I know that fennel is not everyone’s cup of tea, and if you’re staunchly anti-fennel then I don’t think this recipe will change your mind. BUT if you’re on the fence about it, keep reading - because I think this just might nudge you over to my side.

My obsession with this salad, a very popular recipe in Sicilian cooking, began many years ago at Christmas at my aunt and uncle’s house. When I asked how they had prepared it, I remember being shocked at how simple the recipe was! What you saw was what you got, but it was an explosion of flavor. The simplicity IS the magic.

The Citrus

When citrus is at its peak in the winter, you may find a wide variety to choose from at the store. Feel free to lean into this and use a mixture of a few different citrus fruits for this recipe! I love mixing Cara Cara, Mandarin, and blood oranges, and have been known to throw in some grapefruit as well. You’ll need to break out some knife skills to get those luscious citrus segments, but it’s well worth it.

The Fennel

Waste not! In this recipe, you’ll use the bulb and the delicate fronds of the fennel. The fronds, which almost resemble dill, get sprinkled on top at the end like an herb and really bump up the fennel flavor. And since we’d hate to waste those stalks in the middle, freeze them for throwing into your next vegetable or chicken stock.

The Olives

Oil-cured black olives are traditional for this recipe, and Castelvetrano olives are another personal favorite of mine. I like to mix them, but you can use one or the other (or a similar variety) successfully.

My one firm recommendation? Smash the olives. The crags make for great texture in every single bite, and this doubles as an easy method to get the pits out.

The Dressing

All you really need is a little drizzle of EVOO, flaky salt, and freshly ground pepper! The citrus juices take it the rest of the way.

Citrus & Fennel Salad

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Yield: 2

Author: Sarah Kenner

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

A simple, classic, and refreshing salad for enjoying peak winter citrus.

Ingredients

• 1 large fennel bulb with fronds
• 3-4 large citrus fruits (I recommend a mixture, i.e. Mandarins, Cara Caras, blood oranges, grapefruit, etc.)
• 1/3 cup olives (I recommend Castelvetranos, green olives, black oil cured olives, or a mix.)
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Flaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon)

Instructions

1. Cut off the root end, stalks, and fronds (leafy ends) of the fennel. Save the fronds for later, and discard or save the stalks.* Cut the bulb in half and thinly slice.
2. Using a small, sharp paring knife, cut the ends off of each citrus fruit. Then, run your knife downward around the fruit from top to bottom, hugging the shape of the fruit. The goal is to cut off the rind completely but save as much fruit as possible.
3. Once the rind is removed, carefully cut inward along the fruit's segment lines in a 'V' shape to remove each segment. If you prefer, you can cut the citrus into slices instead.
4. Assemble your sliced fennel and citrus on a serving plate. Smash the olives by squeezing them between your fingers or crushing them with something clean and heavy (i.e. a clean jar or can). If your olives have pits, you should be able to remove them easily at this point.
5. Chop the leafy parts of a few fennel fronds and sprinkle them on top of the salad. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes & Substitutions

*TIP: Save and freeze your fennel stalks to use for vegetable or chicken stock!



Recommended Products

Maldon Flaky Sea Salt

Divina Castelvetrano Olives

winter salad, citrus salad, orange and fennel salad, fennel salad

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