A refreshingly crisp salad: Fennel and Orange Salad ( Insalata di Finocchio e Arance)

Love What UEAT
Dec 18, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Appetizers & Snacks#Italiansalad #entrees #sidedish #vegan #vegetarian #glutenfree #appetiser

A refreshingly crisp salad: Fennel and Orange Salad ( Insalata di Finocchio e Arance)

This delicious salad is very refreshing. It’s made with very few ingredients and can be made all year round and ready to serve in approximately 10 minutes.

Fennel (finocchio in Italian), is a vegetable that has a layered white bulb, green stalks(that resemble dill-like leaves) with an anise flavour. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

When adding the sliced oranges to the fennel, the citrus will cut through the flavour of the fennel, bringing both flavours together. The orange slices, along with its citrus, cuts through the “liquoricy” of the fennel. It’s budget friendly, especially during the fennel seasons, which are fall and winter.

Finocchio is almost a must on every Italian table during the Christmas Holidays. It’s definitely on our table, especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

INGREDIENTS:

2 bulbs of fennel

2 large oranges 🍊

1 medium size red onion

OPTIONAL (black olives - gaeta, cerignola, kalamata)

DRESSING:

Sprinkle of oregano 🌿

Salt and black pepper to taste

Olive oil

The juice of the left over oranges

The zest of both oranges

Garnish with the herb stock of the fennel

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cut off the green stalk and the outer layers from the fennel. Cut the fennel i half. Remove the cores. Keep the herb portion for garnish & added flavour.

2) Thinly slice the fennel, by using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Rinse under cold water. Place in a salad spinner to remove the excess water and place in a bowl.

3) Cut the red onion into 1/2 moon thin slices. Add to bowl filled with cold water to soak for 10 mins to remove any last bitterness.

4) With a sharp knife, cut off the orange peel, including the white part of the peel.Slice the oranges to divide flesh sections. Add to bowl. Keep the left over of the oranges to juice later for dressing.

NOTE : For our viewers that want to add olives into the salad, rinse olives, add to bowl.

5) Sprinkle the oregano, salt, black pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.Juice the remaining center of the oranges and add the zest. Toss well and serve immediately OR within 1-2 hours. For crispiest texture, make sure salad is chilled.