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This blood orange fennel salad is originally from Sicily where juicy and sweet oranges grow under the hot sun of the Mediterranean sea. This is a savory fruit salad where the citrus of the oranges is contrasted by the aniseed fennel, creating the perfect side dish for grilled meat or fish.
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Savory salad
This is not a regular fruit salad, but a savory salad to serve as a side dish. Its delicate, as well as pungent flavor, is the perfect balance to grilled or barbecued meat or fish.
I like to use blood oranges (Tarocchi or Moro), not only for their gorgeous shade of ruby red that blends into the orange but also for their intense sweet and sour taste.
This salad is so festive and vibrant, you don’t need any centerpiece.
Add some extra fun to the table by making monkeys with orange peels and have them climbing the salt and pepper mills.
Blood orange season and benefit
There are different kinds of blood orange, the most common growing in Italy (mainly in the south: Sicily, Calabria, and Puglia) are Tarocco, Moro, Sanguinello.
They mature in December and you can find them in the markets from January to March, or even Spring depending on the type.
The red color is due to a high content of anthocyanins which are also present in blueberry, raspberry, black rice, and black soybean.
Anthocyanins have antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases as described in the article below from the US National Institute of Health:
I eat them just because they are my favorite oranges.
Fennel taste
Fennel tastes like anise and you either love it or hate it. It is fresh, crunchy, and low in calories.
In Italy, we sometimes eat it at the end of the meal as it helps digestion and leaves a nice fresh taste in your mouth.
If you cook it, its anise taste diminishes and it becomes smooth and creamy.
Ingredients
The ingredients you need are very simple:
- baby romaine leaves to use as a base
- 1 fennel
- 2 oranges
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
There is no need for additional salad dressing as the juice from the oranges will make a natural vinaigrette.
Peeling the oranges to make the monkeys
Peel monkeys are very easy to do and so much fun especially if you have children. It is definitely worth taking a few minutes to make them.
Look carefully at the picture, the top of the orange is the head and the arms, the bottom the legs.
Follow the instructions below and you will easily carve a monkey out of your orange.
If you want to make the peel monkey, this is how you peel the oranges:
- Carve the head on top of the orange making a round, leaving a part uncut for the neck
- Leave some space and carve another circle for the arms, leaving a part uncut for the body
- Carve vertically from under the armpit the left side of the body
- Make another round at the bottom of the orange for the legs, leave a part uncut for the body
- Carve the right side of the body from the leg up to the armpit
- Remove the bottom of the orange on a round shape
- Remove the peel between the legs and the arms
- Gently remove the peel monkey from the orange
- Cut the legs circle in half so the monkey can climb
- Position the monkey over a bottle or salt and pepper mill
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Preparing the salad
- Wash and cut the fennel in half
- Slice the fennel
- Once the oranges are peeled, cut the oranges in slices
- Place the washed baby romaine leaves in a salad bowl
- Layer the oranges slices with the fennel
- Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
What to serve with savory orange salad
Because its flavor is very delicate, citrusy and aniseed this salad well combines with either meat or fish.
In the video, I serve it with duck breast a l’orange and gratin dauphinoise, a perfect combination for a special dinner.
You can also serve it with Sea bream cooked in salt, cod baked with potatoes or barbecued meat like Brazilian picanha or a veal Milanese.
More Italian winter salads
Italian salads are always very simple, made with seasonal produce, “they” are the star of the plate.
Winter is the season for artichokes, oranges, puntarelle, fennels. So those are the salads you will find on an Italian table during the cold weather:
- Blood Orange Fennel Salad
- Italian artichokes salad
- Puntarelle alla Romana
If you are making the Blood Orange Fennel Salad, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Blood Orange Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head baby romaine salad
- 1 fennel
- 2 blood orange Tarocchi or Mora
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper
Equipment
Looking for kitchen gadget gifts?Instructions
- Wash and cut the fennel in half
- Slice the fennel
- Peel the oranges and cut them in slices
- Place the washed baby romaine leaves in a salad bowl
- Layer the oranges slices with the fennel
- Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
Video
Notes
- In this recipe, I use blood oranges but you can use regular oranges
- Seasoning is very simple as the juice of the orange will add a nice citrusy flavor
- If you prefer, you can substitute fennel with endive
Dannii
What a beautiful looking salad. So light and fresh.
Laura
Thank you
Elizabeth
I used to be quite sceptical about putting fruit in salads (other than a dessert fruit salad) but it totally works! The sweet and savoury really pair well together, and this salad is perfect for a summer BBQ table.
Laura
yes, it really does work. Thank you
Emmeline
This looks like a delicious salad – love that flavor combo! And oh my god I have to try to make those monkeys, what a fun idea!
Laura
Thanks, I am sure you will enjoy
Jacqueline Meldrum
I am leaving excited about the combination of orange and fennel. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Laura
You are welcome
Adrianne
Orange and fennel, what a winning combination! I love the simple sound of this salad and that the flavours sound amazing. Love the idea of the peel monkey, very clever!! Cheers for sharing.
Laura
Thank you, often simple is best
E Swift
My mother is Sicilian and she would often make a similar orange salad as a refreshing snack for us as kids or even as a dessert after dinner. She made it slightly different though, chopping up the oranges and fennel in bite sized pieces, I have recently discovered that this salad is not only delicious but extremely beneficial for those suffering joint pains. I was starting to experience the early signs of arthritis in my fingers and was inspired to make my mum’s orange salad this winter, with generous amounts of freshly milled black pepper, eating a bowl full 3 times a day. The pains have literally disappeared. I recently found out that 3 elements in the salad are known inflammation suppressants- Extra virgin olive oil, oranges and black pepper. I did not experience anymore joint pain in my fingers all winter! Two weeks ago, I stopped having my orange salad, and already I am starting to experience tightness and swelling in the joint of my little finger. I started back on the orange salad diet 2 days ago and the swelling and tightness has already gone down. I guess an orange salad is now going to be a daily part of my diet as I age. Never underestimate the wisdom of our Italian mamas!
Laura
Thank you for the comments. I will never again underestimate our mamas’ wisdom and I will also have an orange salad every day.