Citric Acid Free Fennel-Orange Salad
This bright, crunchy salad is a showstopper on any table — shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and a whisper of red pepper flakes all come together in something that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy. For anyone navigating a citric acid sensitivity, the challenge with fresh, vibrant salads is often the dressing, where processed citric acid can sneak in through bottled vinaigrettes or store-bought components. Here, the tang comes entirely from freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice, both of which are naturally occurring and used in their whole, unprocessed form — no additives, no preservatives, nothing hidden. The technique of soaking the shaved fennel in ice water is a small but brilliant step that softens any bitterness and gives the slices a satisfying, delicate curl. A drizzle of honey and good extra-virgin olive oil round out the dressing into something balanced and silky. Finished with torn parsley, feathery fennel fronds, and optional shaved Parmesan, this salad is as beautiful as it is clean and straightforward to put together.
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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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