This joyful fennel orange salad with citrus vinaigrette is fun to make and full of bright, citrusy flavor! Vegan-adaptable and gluten-free.

serving platter with fennel orange salad topped with sliced red onion and pistachios.

The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it.

Nisargadatta Maharaj

Why You’ll Love Fennel Orange Salad

This cheery fennel orange salad recipe is sure to brighten these chilly winter days! I love how citrus is in season in winter, right when we need it most, to add some color to our lives, not to mention some extra vitamin C!

This uplifting salad features thinly shaved fennel, juicy oranges, peppery arugula, red onion, fresh mint, and pistachios in a refreshing citrus vinaigrette, making it an ideal side dish for salmon, fish, or chicken. For added richness, add crumbled goat cheese or avocado.

Ingredients

ingredients laid out for fennel orange salad - fennel, arugula, salt, pepper, oranges, shallot, red onion, olive oil, mint.
  • Large fennel bulb: Save some of the fennel fronds!
  • Oranges: You’ll need some for dressing and some for the salad. Use cara cara oranges or navel oranges.
  • Blood orange: Or sub an additional regular orange.
  • Red onion: Thinly sliced, for a crisp, sharp bite that balances the tartness of the oranges.
  • Baby arugula: Or use a spring mix.
  • Mint leaves: Or sub-flat-leaf parsley, basil or cilantro.
  • Optional additions: Add nuts, like toasted pistachios, for crunch and crumbled goat cheese for creamy texture.
  • Citrus Vinaigrette: Extra virgin Olive oil, orange zest, fresh orange juice, white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar), shallot (or garlic clove), salt and pepper, and honey (or maple syrup).

Variations

  • For added richness, add crumbled goat cheese or sliced avocado. Feta may be too salty, so use a light hand.
  • Instead of mint and pistachios, try cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds, or basil and toasted pinenuts.

How to Make Fennel Orange Salad

1. Make the citrus vinaigrette. Whisk together olive oil, orange zest and juice, vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper, and honey in a small bowl.

small bowl with whisk and citrus vinaigrette, surrounded by oranges.

2. Prep the salad ingredients. Cut off the bottom end of the fennel, trim the top, then cut in half lengthwise, and remove the core.

wood cutting board with sharp knife and fennel bulbs with cores cut out.

Use a mandolin and cut-resistant glove to thinly slice the fennel, into paper thin slices, or use a sharp chef’s knife. Thinly slice the red onion. Use a paring knife to slice the stem ends off the orange, then remove the orange peel, cutting downwards in strips. This will remove the white pith, or membrane, giving a cleaner look to the orange slices.

Slice the peeled orange into 1/4-inch slices.

gloved hand running fennel down mandolin behind pile of sliced fennel on wood board.
knife sliced peel off oranges next to orange sliced and peeled blood orange and board with pile of sliced fennel.

3. Toss. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the fennel, onion, and 2/3 of the mint. Pour in just enough orange vinaigrette to lightly coat. Taste and adjust for sea salt and pepper.

a platter of tossed arugula with fennel, red oion, mint and dressing.

4. Arrange. Place the bed of greens and fennel on a large platter, then arrange the orange slices over top. Sprinkle with mint, pistachios, and crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with a little extra black pepper, fennel fronds, and another light drizzle of dressing. Serve extra dressing on the side.

serving platter with fennel orange salad and serving utensils, garnished with crumbled goat cheese and thinly sliced red onion.

Chef’s Tips

  1. Create paper-thin slices. Cut the fennel and red onion into paper-thin slices by using a mandolin and cut-resistant glove. If using a paring knife or other chef knife, try your best to cut the slices as thinly as possible.
  2. “Mellow” the onions by soaking in cold salted water before adding to the salad.
  3. Cutting the peel off the orange (rather than peeling the orange) will remove the white pith, giving the salad a much cleaner look.
  4. Add just enough dressing to coat the greens lightly, then spoon any extra over the orange slices. This keeps the salad from becoming overdressed.
  5. To make the salad ahead: Prep everything up to 2 days ahead, store it in the fridge, but wait to toss until ready to serve. 

Storing Orange Fennel Salad

Store the leftover salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

Serving Suggestions

Turn this winter salad into a meal by adding one of these protein options on top!

Fennel Orange Salad FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! Prep everything up to 2 days in advance, then store in the fridge. Wait until just before serving to toss everything together.

What does fennel taste like?

Fennel has a sweet, anise-like flavor that some describe as tasting like licorice. However, the flavor is much milder than licorice. It is crisp and refreshing, perfectly balancing the tartness of the citrus!

small bowl with fennel orange salad topped with crumbled goat cheese, sliced red onion, and pistachios.

I hope you enjoy this Orange Fennel Salad recipe! Let us know what you think in the comments!

On the homefront: We are down in California for the winter again. Instead of Santa Barbara, we drove a bit further south and landed in Laguna Beach. The farmer’s markets are filled with citrus here, and I couldn’t help but share another citrus salad. They are just so juicy and happy and bright. After a few days of heavy rain, the sun is peaking through the clouds this morning, and my heart feels uplifted.

Sylvia

More Favorite Fennel Salad Recipes

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fennel orange salad with citrus vinaigrette

Fennel Orange Salad Recipe

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Description

This cheerful fennel orange salad recipe is made with shaved fennel, juicy oranges, arugula, mint, and a simple citrus vinaigrette. Vegan-adaptable, Gluten-free.

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 medium fennel bulb (1 1/4–1 1/2 cups sliced), save some fennel fronds
  • 2 oranges, divided (one for dressing) care cara, navel oranges,
  • 1 blood orange (or sub one more regular orange)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
  • 5 ounces of baby arugula or spring mix (5-6 cups)
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves, torn (or sub-flat-leaf parsley or cilantro)
  • optional additions: 3 tablespoons toasted pistachios and crumbled goat cheese or add avocado slices

Citrus Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or other “light” vinegar) or sub lemon juice.
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot (or 1 fat garlic clove, finely minced)
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or sweetener of choice

Instructions

  1. Make the citrus vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper and honey and whisk well.
  2. Prep the salad ingredients. Cut off the bottom end of the fennel, trim the top, then cut in half lengthwise, and remove the core. Using a mandolin and a cut-resistant glove, thinly slice the fennel or cut using a sharp knife into paper-thin fennel slices. Thinly slice the red onion. Using a pairing knife, slice the stem ends off the orange. Place on the counter, and remove the remaining orange peel, cutting downwards in strips. Slice the peeled orange into ¼ inch slices. 
  3. Combine. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the fennel, onion, and ⅔ of the mint and just enough dressing to lightly coat. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Place on a large platter. Arrange the orange slices over the top. 
  4. Sprinkle with more mint, pistachios, and crumbled goat cheese. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, fennel fronds,  and drizzle a little more dressing over the oranges using a spoon. 

Notes

To make the salad ahead, prep everything up to 2 days ahead, store it in the fridge, but wait to toss until serving. 

Leftovers will keep 24 hours in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup- with pistachios and goat cheese
  • Calories: 170
  • Sugar: 10.1 g
  • Sodium: 239.2 mg
  • Fat: 11.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Fiber: 3.3 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Cholesterol: 5.6 mg

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Comments

  1. This salad is amazing, with its varied textures and the wonderful bursts of orange flavor. It definitely exceeded my expectations. I added an extra sliced orange.

    Reply

  2. Love this winter salad–a mix of blood oranges, cara cara and navel oranges (and maybe a sprinke of pomegranate seeds for more drama) makes for a beautiful and cheerful dish. I use a dressing of pomegranate molasses, honey and fresh lemon thyme and salt/cracked black pepper with a little EVOO. Yum.

    Reply

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