Mushroom Free Fennel-Orange Salad
Bright, refreshing, and built entirely from produce, citrus, and pantry staples, this salad is the kind of dish that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together with minimal effort in your own kitchen. Shaving the fennel thin and soaking it in ice water is the secret move here — it tames any sharpness and gives you these delicate, curled slices that are genuinely satisfying to eat. Juicy navel orange segments add sweetness and acidity, while buttery Castelvetrano olives bring a briny, savory depth that ties everything together. The dressing is a simple whisk of olive oil, fresh citrus juice, honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes — nothing complicated, but the balance is spot on. For anyone navigating a diet that rules out fungi, this is the kind of recipe that proves you are not missing out on anything. Every single ingredient is clean, whole, and easy to verify at a glance — no hidden fillers, no ambiguous sauces, no surprises. Pile it onto a platter, scatter the fennel fronds and a little shaved Parmesan over the top, and it is ready to impress.
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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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