Legume Free Fennel-Orange Salad
Crisp, bright, and genuinely stunning on a platter, this fennel-orange salad is the kind of dish that makes people ask what restaurant you ordered it from. Shaving the fennel thin and soaking it in ice water is the secret move here — it curls the slices into delicate ribbons and mellows any sharpness into something almost sweet and refreshing. Buttery Castelvetrano olives and paper-thin red onion add savory depth and a little bite, while the citrus dressing — built from fresh orange juice, lemon, honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes — ties everything together with a warm, tangy kick. The whole thing comes together without a single legume in sight, which means no beans, lentils, or pea-derived ingredients to navigate around — just clean, whole produce and pantry staples. Optional shaved Parmesan and torn fennel fronds on top push it from simple salad into something that feels genuinely special. It works beautifully as a light starter, a side alongside roasted fish or chicken, or even a centerpiece for a casual lunch spread.
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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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