This vibrant orange and fennel salad combines sweet, juicy citrus with crisp shaved fennel, fresh herbs, and crunchy pistachios for a bright, refreshing winter salad.
We’re in citrus season and I gotta say… say thank G-d for winter citrus! Am loving all the citrus diversity out there. It’s so very welcome in my world amongst all winter root veggies I got going on. As is all the vitamin C. And now that so many of us are sheltering in place, citrus can keep for a few weeks when stored in the fridge.
Why this Salad Works
- All the flavors! The peppery arugula and the anise-like fennel contrasts nicely with the tangy-sweetness of the citrus.
- All the textures! The crunchy pistachios, the crisp arugula and fennel and the juicy citrus wheels create different textures for a more interesting finished salad.
- Versatile! Can use any type of oranges you may have around… and lots of citrus types can work too! There’s a whole wide orange and citrus world out there!
The Citrus-Fennel Combo
It’s a classic combination and I def ain't the originator of it. It’s been around since before my time. Both Spain and Sicily have a traditional orange-fennel salad in their cuisine too.
This is my version, inspired by an image I saw from Antoni Porowski, although there were no greens in his pic.
Just want to explicitly stress that I ain’t the first gal to pair orange and fennel… it’s a classic!
I love using as many different varieties of oranges as I can get my hands on for a very colorful finished dish!
How to Make this Orange & Fennel Salad
- Toast your pistachios.
- Cut your fennel as thin as humanely possible. Or use a mandolin.
- Cut your oranges/citrus into wheels.
- Save the juice. I repeat: guard that citrus juice. It’s the acid in our dressing. Squeeze all the peels to get every last drop of that delicious citrus juice out. If you have more than ya need for the dressing, drink it!
- Make your vinaigrette. Because we’re all using slightly different types of citrus, you’ll have to adjust the honey in it accordingly. For example, tangerines are typically sweeter and less tart than oranges. Oranges are sweeter and less bitter than grapefruits. Add honey in incremental amounts and taste, taste, taste.
- Prep your herbs.
- Assemble all! My preferred method is to layer: arugula, followed by the fennel, followed by all the citrus, followed by the pistachios and fresh herbs.
- Enjoy!
This simple, elegant and light winter salad is bursting with so much flavor!
Cooks Tips
- When possible, buy local and/or organic produce.
- Experiment with any and all types of citrus you find at the market. There’s a whole wide citrus world out that wants to end up on your plate.
- Remember to collect and save those citrus juices.
- For advance planning: prepare the fennel, orange and fresh herbs ahead of time and refrigerate separately, toast the pistachios and make the vinaigrette. Assemble the salad immediately before serving.
- Be sure to add the honey in incremental amounts! It’s much easier to add more honey than to dilute the vinaigrette if it’s overly sweet.
Orange & Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of pistachios
- 1– 1 ½ pounds of oranges or other citrus
- 1 lemon zest & juice
- 2-4 tablespoons of honey to taste
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil more to taste
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 bag/ 7oz arugula
- 3 fennel bulbs halved, cored and thinly sliced on a mandolin or with a very sharp knife, reserve a handful of fennel fronts
- ¼ cup tablespoons of fresh herbs such as mint basil, chervil or parsley, chopped
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- To toast the pistachios, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in oven for about 6 minutes, until very fragrant. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board, coarsely shop and set aside.
- To cut the citrus wheels, using a sharp knife, trim off the tops and bottoms of the citrus fruits to expose the flesh. Stand one piece of fruit on end and cut away the peel and white pith, following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Repeat with the remaining citrus, then cut all the fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Set aside.
- Squeeze the citrus peels to extract all the citrus juices into a small bowl. Add the juices and zest of 1 lemon to the citrus juices. Add 2 tablespoons of the honey, salt, pepper and whish in the olive oil. Add more honey, a little at a time, to taste.
- In a large bowl, toss the arugula with 2-ish tablespoons of the vinaigrette and a pinch of flakey sea salt. Arrange the arugula on a shallow serving bowl or platter. Add the sliced fennel to the same bowl and toss with 1-ish tablespoon of the vinaigrette and arrange the fennel over the arugula. Arrange the citrus wheels of the fennel and drizzle another 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the citrus. Sprinkle the pistachios, reserved fennel fronds, fresh herbs, flakey sea salt and freshly ground pepper over the salad.
Notes
- When possible, buy local and/or organic produce.
- Experiment with any and all types of citrus you find at the market. There’s a whole wide citrus world out that wants to end up on your plate.
- Remember to collect and save those citrus juices.
- For advance planning: prepare the fennel, orange and fresh herbs ahead of time and refrigerate separately, toast the pistachios and make the vinaigrette. Assemble the salad immediately before serving.
- Be sure to add the honey in incremental amounts! It’s much easier to add more honey than to dilute the vinaigrette if it’s overly sweet.
More Orange Recipes
Looking for more seasonal recipes highlighting winter citrus? Blood orange heavy.
- Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Salad – Earthy roasted beets paired with sweet juicy citrus, tangy spiced yogurt, crunchy hazelnuts, and fresh herbs.
- Blood Orange & Radicchio Salad – A bright winter salad pairing sweet, juicy winter citrus with bitter radicchio, crisp fennel, crunchy pistachios, and fresh herbs
- Blood Orange Shaker Tart – A whole-citrus tart made with paper-thin sliced blood oranges macerated in sugar and baked into a sweet custard filling.
- Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake – Caramelized blood oranges baked into a rum-infused vanilla cake for a dramatic winter dessert.
- Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange Slices – check mine out made with blood oranges – love that ravishing ruby color.
- Candied Orange Slices –Thin slices of orange poached in sugar water until sweet, soft and chewy.
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to hear about it — leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too!
If you enjoyed this recipe, explore more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides here on the site — there’s plenty more inspiration waiting for you.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
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