Sesame Free Pomegranate & Citrus Fennel Slaw with Mint
This slaw is a showstopper — jewel-bright pomegranate arils, citrus segments, and paper-thin fennel piled together in a bowl that looks like it belongs on a restaurant menu. The combination of navel orange, blood orange or grapefruit, and fresh mint gives every bite a burst of sweetness and cool herbal freshness that's genuinely hard to stop eating. A quick whisk of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, and ginger pulls the whole thing together into a dressing that's bright and just a little warm-spiced. Slicing the fennel as thin as possible — ideally on a mandoline — is the move that makes this slaw feel elegant rather than chunky, and a short 10-minute rest lets those slices soften just enough to meld with the citrus juices. There's no tahini, no sesame oil, no hidden toasted seeds to worry about here; the dressing is built entirely from pantry staples that are easy to verify. The optional pistachios add a satisfying crunch without any cross-contamination concerns that often come with pre-mixed nut blends. It's the kind of side dish that works alongside grilled fish, roasted chicken, or honestly just on its own as a light lunch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the slaw
- 1 medium fennel bulb, fronds reserved
- 2 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 navel orange, segmented
- 1 blood orange or grapefruit, segmented
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 2 tbsp fennel fronds, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp dry-roasted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise, remove the tough outer layer and core, then slice each half as thinly as possible on a mandoline or with a sharp knife — you want translucent, paper-thin slices. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Add the shredded cabbage to the bowl with the fennel.
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