Artificial Food Coloring Free Fennel-Orange Salad
This bright, refreshing salad is a showstopper on any table — crisp shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and paper-thin red onion all come together in a way that feels both effortless and impressive. The dressing is whisked together from scratch using fresh citrus juice, honey, olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, so every drop of color on the plate comes straight from real ingredients. That matters more than it might seem — plenty of bottled dressings and pre-made salads sneak in synthetic dyes to boost their visual appeal, but this one earns its gorgeous hues entirely from fennel fronds, ruby onion, and the natural blush of fresh navel oranges. Soaking the fennel in ice water is a small step that makes a big difference, coaxing the slices into delicate, curled ribbons with a satisfying crunch. A finishing scatter of flat-leaf parsley and optional shaved Parmesan adds savory depth without complicating the clean, vibrant flavor profile. It's the kind of salad that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together with nothing more than a sharp knife, a whisk, and genuinely good produce.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds reserved
- 3 medium navel oranges
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly torn
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice (from one of the segmented oranges)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fennel fronds, roughly torn (optional)
- 1 oz shaved parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim the fennel bulbs: cut off the stalks and any tough outer layers, then halve each bulb through the root. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, shave the fennel crosswise into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Place in a large bowl of ice water and let stand for 10 minutes, until the slices curl slightly and crisp up. Drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- 2
Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut the top and bottom off each orange, then stand each orange upright and slice away the peel and white pith from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Hold the peeled orange over the bowl and cut between the membranes to release the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze the spent membranes over the bowl to extract the juice, then measure out 2 tbsp of the juice for the dressing.
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