Chicken Free Fennel-Orange Salad
This bright, refreshing salad is built entirely on produce, good olive oil, and a few pantry staples — no poultry anywhere near the equation. Shaved fennel soaked in ice water gets delightfully crisp and curly, then meets juicy navel orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and paper-thin red onion for a combination that feels both elegant and effortless. The citrus dressing pulls double duty, using fresh-squeezed juice straight from the oranges you're already segmenting, so nothing goes to waste and every element ties together. A pinch of red pepper flakes gives the whole thing a gentle kick that keeps it from feeling too precious. Finished with torn parsley, feathery fennel fronds, and optional shaved Parmesan, it's the kind of salad that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together on your own cutting board. Serve it immediately so the fennel stays crisp and the oranges stay bright — this one is all about freshness.
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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)
Can be omittedshaved parmesan
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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