Coconut Free Fennel-Orange Salad
Crisp shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and paper-thin red onion come together in a salad that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy without requiring much effort at all. The trick of soaking the fennel slices in ice water is a small step that pays off big — it curls the pieces slightly and gives them a satisfying snap that holds up beautifully under the bright citrus dressing. That dressing is built entirely from olive oil, fresh orange and lemon juice, a touch of honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, so every component is clean, whole, and completely free of any tropical oils or hidden additives that can sneak into store-bought vinaigrettes. Segmenting the oranges properly — cutting away the pith and slicing between the membranes — means you get silky, jewel-like pieces rather than chunky wedges, and the juice you squeeze from the spent membranes goes straight into the dressing for zero waste. A finishing scatter of flat-leaf parsley, torn fennel fronds, and optional shaved Parmesan pulls the whole plate together with herby freshness and a whisper of salty richness. This is the kind of salad that disappears fast at a dinner table, and it works equally well as a light lunch or an elegant starter alongside grilled fish or roasted chicken.
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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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