Vegetarian Fennel-Orange Salad
Bright, refreshing, and genuinely stunning on a platter, this salad is the kind of dish that makes people stop mid-conversation to ask what's in it. 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 dressing pulls double duty — fresh orange juice squeezed right from the segmented fruit ties everything together with a citrusy brightness, balanced by lemon, honey, and a gentle kick of red pepper flakes. It's a salad that genuinely doesn't need anything else, though a shower of shaved Parmesan and torn fennel fronds take it somewhere special if you're feeling extra. The whole thing comes together with nothing more than a sharp knife or mandoline and a good whisk, making it an easy win for weeknight dinners and dinner-party spreads alike. Every ingredient here is naturally plant-forward and wholesome, so there's no need to swap or substitute a thing — it's simply good food done right.
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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)
Can be omittedshaved parmesan
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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