High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Fennel-Orange Salad
Crisp shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and a whisper of red onion come together in a salad that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy. The dressing is built entirely from scratch — olive oil, fresh-squeezed citrus, a touch of honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes — so there's no bottled sauce or sweetened shortcut hiding unwanted additives in the mix. That matters more than you'd think, because so many store-bought dressings and pre-marinated ingredients quietly sneak in corn-derived sweeteners that have no business being in a dish this clean. The technique of soaking the fennel in ice water is a small but brilliant step that transforms it from sharp and fibrous into something delicate and almost silky. Fresh parsley and torn fennel fronds keep the herbal notes bright, while optional shaved Parmesan adds a salty, nutty finish that pulls the whole plate together. It's the kind of salad that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but comes together with nothing more than a sharp knife, a mandoline, and a few minutes of hands-on prep.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!