I don’t really know the first time I ever had fennel and orange salad. It may have been at a seaside cafe when I lived in Italy. But it may have just as easily been here in the Golden State when I was growing up in California. What I know is that it’s a great recipe that showcases how excellent winter salads can be.
This fennel citrus salad is a love letter to winter citrus (well, and fennel, too) and a core dish in classic Italian cuisine. This recipe is served during the winter months in Italy when fennel and citrus are in season, making it perfect as a light meal or a side dish. I like to add it to my winter dinner party repertoire because it is super simple to put together and adds a nice light balance, as most winter meals are heavier.
As an Italian-American who lived in Italy, I have eaten my fair share of fennel and orange salad. They are two of my favorite winter ingredients (likely because we have loads of each in my home state of California). Now that I provide Italy travel planning services to our clients, I often eat dishes like this. Our team travels regularly to Italy to do research, and part of it is eating traditional local dishes so we can 1) share with you where to eat the best version and 2) share our version with you!
There are variations on this fennel salad recipe that add in all sorts of things, from baby greens, peppery arugula, grapefruit segments, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and more. That’s all fine, but it’s not traditionally what you find in Sicily. And frankly, it’s all just a distraction. The ingredients in this salad are simple yet impactful. After making this dish for years, I’m finally sharing what, in my mind, is the perfect salad. It’s easy to make, flavorful, and adds to the meal!
Origin of this Sicilian Fennel Salad
First, let’s discuss the origin of this fennel and orange salad. This dish has deep roots in Sicilian cuisine, where fresh produce reigns supreme. Traditionally, this dish reflects the island’s emphasis on simplicity and quality ingredients. In Sicily, classic ingredients like peppery olive oil, Seville orange, and Bronte pistachios are used, but use the best you have. Its refreshing taste celebrates the season and Sicilian heritage, especially during winter when fennel and citrus shine.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
You’ll love this Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad for its vibrant flavors. Combining sweet, juicy oranges with crisp, aromatic fennel creates a unique taste. Additionally, this salad is quick to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions. It’s delightful to eat and visually appealing, adding a pop of color to your table.
Recipe Ingredients
You may have noticed that there are very few ingredients in this fennel and orange salad. That’s because it’s an exercise in restraint. You don’t need much else if you use high-quality extra virgin olive oil, sweet fresh fennel, and in-season oranges!
You will find various recipes for this fennel orange salad in Sicily, where people add mint leaves, red onion, anchovies, pine nuts, or Bronte pistachios. As my Italian grandmother said, “You wanna, you put. no wanna, no put.” In other words, make it your own. Here are the ingredients we used to make this orange fennel salad:
- Crunchy Fennel adds a crisp texture. And, the anise-flavored fennel contrasts the sweetness of the oranges. Look for a fennel bulb that is small but heavy for its size. By the way, if you end up with extra raw fennel (which you won’t!), this Grilled Salmon Salad is a great way to use it up.
- Cara Cara oranges contribute a sweet and slightly tangy flavor and a vibrant color, enhancing the salad’s visual appeal. If you can’t find Cara Cara oranges, use other citrus like Seville oranges, blood oranges, navel oranges, or even satsumas or mandarins.
- Pitted olives introduce a briny depth, balancing the sweetness and adding complexity to the dish. We prefer the Castelvetrano olives (which hail from Sicily), but you can use your favorite type.
- Extra-virgin olive oil imparts a rich, fruity essence, harmonizing the flavors and adding a silky mouthfeel. Look for an Italian olive oil from Sicily, Tuscany, or Liguria with a pepper bite.
- Flaky sea salt enhances all the flavors, bringing out the natural tastes of each ingredient and adding a delicate crunch. The most famous kind from Sicily is Trapani Sea Salt, but you could also use Maldon or French sea salt.
How to Make this Recipe
Making this Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad is easy and quick. While it’s very few steps, during recipe testing, we noticed that a few key things (like slicing the fennel super thin and smashing the olives) made a big difference in the taste of the final dish.
- Prepare The Fennel: This dish is best when you have shaved fennel because it will ideally soak up all the flavors. After trimming the ends off the fennel with a pairing knife, you can use a mandoline to make quick work of the thin slices. If you don’t want to use a mandoline to slice the fennel, you can use a sharp knife, but this little step makes the dish feel much more elevated and restaurant-quality as opposed to other recipes that have to think 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Prepare The Citrus: Some people simply peel oranges into segments, while others supreme the orange. We do a bit of both in that we pull off the peel with a knife but then slice the citrus into rounds. We feel this shape is best at soaking up the dish’s flavors.
- Make The Olive Relish: Similar to how we did for our Olive Bruschetta Recipe; we make a quick relish. You combine the olives, olive oil, and juice from the orange in a small bowl, and it works like an easy dressing.
- Serve The Fennel and Orange Salad: We like to serve this as a composed salad, meaning we plate each person’s salad instead of putting it all in a serving bowl. We like to overlap the thin slices of fennel and orange so that each bite has a bit of each.
Where To Eat Fennel and Orange Salad In Real Life
As a food-focused travel company, we have thoughts on places to eat this salad. Of course, you’ll want to try it in Sicily, but some great restaurants in our home state of California also make delicious variations.
Here are a few places that serve takes on this fennel and orange salad that we have enjoyed:
- Ristorante Al Duomo (Taormina, Sicily)
- Cucina Isolana (Cefalu, Sicily)
- Cafe Zoetrope (San Francisco, California)
- Perbacco (San Francisco, California)
- Gjelina (Los Angeles, Califonria)
- Love and Salt (Los Angeles, California)
What to Pair with this Recipe
This salad pairs well with grilled meats, seafood, or light pasta dishes. The fresh flavors complement many entrees, especially during the winter months.
Consider serving it alongside grilled chicken, baked fish, or seared steak for a complete meal. Adding it to a buffet table makes it versatile for any gathering. Enjoy this dish as part of a delightful Italian-inspired meal!
Classic Italian Recipes
Cook up these classic Italian recipes to get a taste of the country in the comfort of your home:
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Fennel And Orange Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium fennel bulbs
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt plus more for serving
- 3 medium cara cara oranges
- 2 handfuls pitted olives
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
Instructions
- Prepare The Fennel: Pluck a few sprigs of fennel fronds and save for garnish. Then cut off the stalks (keep them for now!) and the bottom of the fennel. Using a mandoline, slice it crosswise paper thin so you have thin rounds of fennel. Toss the sliced fennel with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and set aside until ready.
- Prepare The Orange: Now prepare two of the oranges (save the third for the orange juice needed in the relish.) To start, cut off the top and bottom of the two oranges, just enough to expose the flesh and create a stable base. Stand the orange upright and carefully slice downward, following the curve of the fruit to remove the peel and white pith. Continue rotating and cutting until only the juicy flesh remains, trimming any leftover pith as needed. Once peeled, turn the orange and slice it into thin rounds.
- Make The Olive Relish: Place the olives on a cutting board and use the back of a knife to smash them. Place the olives in a mixing bowl and add three tablespoons of olive oil. Halve teh reserved orange and squeeze it. Add up to three tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice from the third orange. Add a pinch of salt, stir to combine, and set aside 5 to 10 minutes before using.
- Serve The Fennel and Orange Salad: To serve this salad, arrange the fennel and orange slices on a serving platter or serving plates, overlapping the ingredients as you go. Then, divide the olive mixture evenly over the top, drizzling with any accumulated juices. Add a few reserved fennel fronds and a pinch of salt, and serve immediately.
