This Italian fennel salad is deliciously aromatic and refreshing with fresh flavours, a delightful crunch and tangy orange dressing.
Our Italian fennel salad is a wonderful autumn/winter salad using fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables.
The combination of these flavours and textures work so well together with sweet raw crunchy fennel, fresh oranges, raisins and apple balanced with a mild sharpness of red onion, then tossed in a tangy citrus dressing.
We think this salad is excellent served alongside seafood and meats, but also with potato and egg dishes.
You may like to serve it with our garlic butter shrimps, Italian sausages, potato salad and our zucchini frittata.
Cooked fennel is delicious too, check out our fennel gratin and this cheesy fennel tart.
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Ingredient notes
For best results use good fresh ingredients, you will need:
- fennel – medium size round fennel bulb
- oranges – one and a half oranges for slicing, the other orange half is juiced to make the dressing. The oranges don’t need to be very sweet.
- apple – any crunchy dessert variety will do (i.e. not cooking apples).
- red onion – thinly sliced using a mandolin or sharp knife.
- raisins – for extra fruity flavour.
- black olives – stoned preferably
- olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for great flavour
- apple cider vinegar – because its fruitier than white wine vinegar.
- salt – adjust for flavour after tasting the dressed salad especially if using any of our extra recommendations listed below..
- lemon zest – optional garnish, for extra zing.
- black pepper – adds a little heat sprinkled on top of the salad, freshly crushed for best flavour.
See recipe card for quantities.
Selecting fennel
Select a round, firm, white, medium size fennel which feels slightly heavy with no bruising.
Old stock fennels feel lighter and will look a little shrivelled as moisture is lost over time resulting in less flavour and wilted texture.
How to cut fennel
Step by step instructions for cutting fennel.
- Wash and pat dry the fennel.
2. Slice off the bottom.
3. Cut off the stalks on top.
4. Cut the trimmed fennel bulb in half before slicing.
5. Use a mandolin (recommended) or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel and add to a medium mixing bowl.
Instructions
Prep the salad ingredients:
- Thinly slice the fennel following the steps outlined above.
- Peel both oranges, halve one orange and set it aside for the dressing.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the remaining oranges into horizontal slices.
- Core and pip the apple then cut into thin bite size pieces.
- Thinly slice the onion.
- Use raisins and olives as they are.
To make the dressing – blend the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, juice of half the orange and salt to make a smooth and creamy emulsion.
Assemble the salad – Combine all the salad ingredients in the mixing bowl and pour in the salad dressing, mix till the salad is fully coated.
Garnish – with lemon zest and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper, serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Optional extras
Some extra ingredients you may like to mix in with the salad:
- seafood – sardines, anchovies or your favourite cooked seafood. Taste for saltiness as you may need to reduce the amount of salt in the dressing.
- red chilli pepper flakes – do you have some guests addicted to chilli pepper? Amp it up with a light sprinkling of red chilli flakes.
- seeds – lightly roasted pine, pumpkin or sunflower seeds give extra crunchiness.
- colourful ingredients – cut beets, grated radishes or halved grapes for great flavour and pop of colour.
Make ahead
This fennel salad can be made in advance and we would actually recommend letting it sit for 30 minutes before serving for flavours to combine beautifully.
Storing
Store leftovers in a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Its not suitable for freezing as the fresh ingredients would loose their flavour and become soggy.
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Pairing
Fennel salad is wonderful with these dishes.
📋 Recipe
Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel whole, washed and dried
- 2 medium oranges
- 1 small apple washed and dried
- 1 small red onion
- 20 g raisins 2 tablespoons
- 30 g black olives ¼ cup
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Cut off the stems, fronds and bottom of 1 medium fennel then slice the bulb in half. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to thinly slice both halves and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
- Peel 2 medium oranges, halving one orange to set aside for the dressing. Use a sharp knife and cut 1½ oranges into horizontal slices then add to the fennel.
- Cut 1 small apple into bite size pieces, removing core and pips and add to the fennel.
- Halve and then thinly slice 1 small red onion and add to the bowl, also adding 30 g black olives and 20 g raisins.
Dressing
- Juice the half orange to obtain roughly 2 tablespoons of juice. Then add to a blender with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, ½ teaspoon salt and blend to a creamy emulsion.
- Pour dressing over the salad and mix well till the salad is properly coated. Garnish with ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon lemon zest and serve.
Notes
MEASUREMENT NOTES
The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.
Miska Knezevic
Excellent! I,m going to make it today for lunch! Thanks!