Fennel Salad with Orange (Sicily)

Delight in this Italian fennel salad with orange. This authentic summer salad from the Mediterranean is simple and delicious.

I love salads. I always have. I think there is something magical about eating fresh raw fruits and vegetables, handpicked directly from the garden just a few minutes before they are on your plate. Salads are even tastier when you are choosing ingredients that are in season. There’s nothing quite like it. 

Therefore, today I want to share with you a classical salad from Sicily. It is a very simple and healthy combination of fresh ingredients, easy and quick to make but extremely delicious! Moreover, it is packed with nutrients and vitamins good for your well-being. Check out these 5 amazing health benefits of fennel! 

This fennel and orange salad is usually prepared during the coldest months, as it is during late fall and winter that these two great ingredients are at their best. However, you can prepare this salad all year round and it will still be amazing. The combination of flavors and textures is exceptional: you get the crispness from the fennel and the juicy sweetness from the orange segments. Plus, the crunchy walnut bits and the salty olives look like little treasures in your dish to be savored little by little. 

I love how the tanginess of the orange mellows out the strong fennel taste, leaving behind a really enjoyable note of licorice. All in all, I’m sure you will like this dish even if you are not a big fan of salads or raw vegetables! 

This fresh and flavorful salad takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and makes a great side dish for grilled seafood and simple meat dishes. Nevertheless, it can also be enjoyed on its own for a light and healthy but tasteful lunch. Thanks to the orange juice the fennel doesn’t wilt, so you can prepare this salad the night before and store it in your fridge until you are ready to eat it. 

Try pairing this recipe with our grilled swordfish recipe from Greece for a complete Mediterranean feast.

Enjoy!

Fennel Salad with Orange

Giorgia Fontana

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Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 8 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 361 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 bulb fennel (about 1 pound)
• 2 large oranges
• 1/3 cup shelled walnuts
• 2 tbsp Niçoise olives (black olives work as well)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Clean the fennel, trim the green ends and core it. Then, thinly slice the bulb lengthwise.
• Peel the oranges over a large bowl, remove the skin and the pith and save the juices. 
• Using a sharp knife cut out each individual segment leaving the white membrane behind. Squeeze the juice from the remains of the oranges.*
• Lightly crush the shelled walnuts with your hands and add them to the bowl.
• Add fennel slices, olives, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Gently toss all the ingredients together and serve. 
• If you like, you can add some of the fennel fronds to the salad to give it a colorful touch.
• Note: If you feel that your oranges are too sweet, you can add just a tablespoon of lemon juice to balance the flavor. 
• *You don't squeeze the juice from the slices. You cut out the orange segments, put them into the salad and then squeeze the remaining juice from what is left of the oranges.

  We call this process "pelare a vivo" so "peel alive"

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 186mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 8gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 487IUVitamin C: 84mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 2mg

Keyword fennel salad

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