Fennel and orange salad is a classic of southern Italian cuisine, especially prepared in Sicily, but it’s also very appreciated here in Calabria. I must admit, as soon as the first oranges ripen from my little tree, I prepare it with real joy. It’s tasty, quick, and perfect to accompany fish dishes in particular, but also meat, even with a nice pork chop, or roast chicken. Fennel and orange salad is really excellent, plus fennel is purifying, so it’s good to eat a lot of it. Oranges, as we all know, are rich in vitamin C, and during the autumn and winter, we really need it to fight colds and seasonal illnesses. So, let’s stock up on oranges and fennel and prepare this delicious salad. This simple or enriched salad is never missing at our house during the Christmas holidays.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Fennel and Orange Salad
- 2 fennel
- 2 oranges
- to taste olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Tools for Preparing Fennel and Orange Salad
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Bowl
Steps to Prepare Fennel and Orange Salad
Remove the most damaged outer parts of the fennel, then cut them in half and wash them to remove the most obvious dirt. Slice them thinly on a cutting board with a large, sharp knife. Place in a colander and wash thoroughly, let them drain well before transferring to a large bowl.
With a knife, peel the oranges, peeling them raw, removing not only the outer yellow rind but also the white film, leaving the orange pulp raw. Then cut into round slices, and cut each slice in half to have beautiful slices.
Add the oranges to the fennel, then season with salt and olive oil, and if desired, add a little vinegar if you like. I can’t eat any kind of salad without it. A good mix and ready to serve.
This salad can be enriched with almonds or walnuts, with olives, green or black, with other vegetables such as red cabbage or artichokes, or even other fruits like kiwi. It can also be enriched with anchovies and capers or even smoked salmon to make a fresh holiday appetizer and more.
