Lactose Free Fennel-Orange Salad
This bright, refreshing salad is built around the kind of bold, clean flavors that make you want to eat with your eyes first. Shaved fennel gets a quick ice-water bath to coax out its natural crispness, then meets juicy navel orange segments, briny Castelvetrano olives, and paper-thin red onion for a combination that's equal parts elegant and effortless. The citrus dressing — whisked together with olive oil, fresh orange and lemon juice, a touch of honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes — ties everything together with a bright, lightly sweet heat. Because the base of this salad is entirely plant-forward, it's naturally free of dairy, and the optional Parmesan shavings are easy to skip without losing any of the dish's appeal. That flexibility makes it a genuinely easy fit for anyone avoiding lactose, whether you're cooking for yourself or feeding a mixed crowd. Serve it immediately after tossing so the fennel stays crisp and the oranges hold their shape — this one rewards a little patience in the prep and zero waiting at the table.
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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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