High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Smoky Paprika Fennel & Citrus Slaw
This vibrant slaw is a riot of color and bold flavor — crisp fennel, shredded red cabbage, sweet orange segments, and tender julienned carrots all pulled together by a smoky, citrus-forward dressing. The smoked paprika and cumin give it a warm, almost sultry depth that you wouldn't expect from something so fresh and light. Every drop of dressing is made from scratch using olive oil, fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juice, honey, and spices, so there's zero chance of a sneaky sweetener slipping in the way it so often does with bottled dressings and store-bought slaws. That's the real win here — you get a genuinely bright, complex flavor without any of the processed shortcuts that make label-reading such a chore. A short ten-minute rest lets the vegetables soften just enough to soak up all that citrusy smokiness before it hits the table. Finish it with a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and a scatter of feathery fennel fronds and it looks as impressive as it tastes. It works beautifully as a side for grilled proteins or piled onto tacos, and it's the kind of dish that makes clean eating feel genuinely exciting.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the slaw
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced, fronds reserved
- 2 cups red cabbage, very thinly shredded
- 2 medium navel oranges, peeled and segmented
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned or coarsely grated
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice (from the segmented oranges)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh fennel fronds, roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Segment the oranges over a small bowl to catch the juice: slice off the top and bottom of each orange, stand it upright, and cut away the peel and pith following the curve of the fruit. Slice between the membranes to release each segment. Squeeze the spent membranes over the bowl to collect the juice; measure out 3 tbsp for the dressing.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 3 tbsp orange juice, lemon juice, smoked paprika, cumin, honey, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is smooth and uniform in color.
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