Fennel and Orange Salad

Bright and zippy fennel orange salad with a zesty Mediterranean dressing. This refreshing citrus salad with hints of licorice is ready in just 10 minutes.

Salad Recipe with a Mediterranean Twist!

Fresh seasonal fruit is an easy way to elevate a simple salad by adding sweetness and color.

When it comes to salad recipes, I like a little contrast. I think it just makes them more interesting. So when I was creating this fennel and orange salad, that was top of mind. I included textures that I love—crunchy fennel and shallots, layered with tender, sweet, juicy citrus.

Drizzled with the garlicky lemon and sumac dressing, this quick citrus salad makes the perfect side to my baked chicken drumsticks or pan-seared or poached salmon, or protein of your choice for an easy dinner…and you get a nice boost of vitamin C while you’re at it!

Fennel and Orange Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to pick up at the store!

• Navel oranges. Peeled and thinly sliced into rounds. You can also use other types of sweet citrus—such as tangerines or clementines. If you decide to use these smaller options, separate them into segments instead of slicing them into rounds
• Grapefruit, peeled and sliced into rounds, adds a slight sour note and another layer of color.
• Fresh fennel. You only need one small bulb, halved and thinly sliced, to add a bit of crunch and anise flavor.
• Spring mix or other salad greens. It’s OK to use a shortcut! A 5-ounce bag of mixed greens is a convenient thing to use here, but if you like to mix your own, combine baby spinach or kale with some peppery arugula
• Shallots. I like the subtle flavor of shallots, but if you don’t have shallots, red onions will work. Just be aware, they are a bit stronger.

Salad Dressing Ingredients

In keeping with the citrus theme, this fennel and orange salad is best tossed in a light dressing made with fresh lemon juice and good extra virgin olive oil (similar to my ladolemono Greek dressing) and seasoned very simply so that it doesn’t detract from the freshness of the salad.

• Extra virgin olive oil. I like our Spanish extra virgin olive oil in this dressing; it is a moderately intense oil with fruity undertones and a slight peppery finish. It’s one of my favorites for homemade salad dressing.
• Fresh lemon juice. I use the juice from one large lemon.
• Garlic. Two minced garlic cloves add just the right amount of heat to balance the sweetness of the oranges.
• Sumac is a tangy and earthy spice made from ground sumac berries. It’s a little sour, which makes it the perfect choice for this citrus salad! Read our guide to sumac to learn more about this common Mediterranean spice.
• Dried oregano. A teaspoon of dried oregano for a herbal touch. I prefer Greek oregano, again because it’s complex and has hints of citrus. Read More: Oregano: Everything you need to know.

How to Make this Fennel Orange Salad

• Assemble the salad. Add 2 cups spring mix (or other salad greens of your choice) to a large bowl. Add 1 small thinly sliced bulb of fennel and 2 thinly sliced shallots. Lastly, add 1 navel orange and 1 grapefruit, both peeled and sliced into rounds.
  
  
• Make the dressing. To a liquid measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon each of sumac and dried oregano, and some kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
• Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss very gently, and serve.

Pro Tips for Peeling and Orange

A good, sharp paring knife is the tool you need to peel oranges and grapefruit. I don’t recommend peeling the fruit with your hands, as this can sometimes break apart the fruit’s flesh. Since we need round slices, the flesh of the orange and grapefruit should be undamaged. Here’s how to peel an orange:

• Start by cutting a bit off the top of the fruit (where the stem would be) with a sharp knife to create a flat surface. Do the same on the opposite side of the orange or grapefruit.
• Place one flat end on a cutting board. Starting with the knife at the top of the fruit, carefully slice away the peel and the pith (the white membrane between the flesh and the peel) in a downward direction. While the pith is healthy and contains lots of nutrients, it is quite bitter, and the salad tastes a lot better without it!
• Keep moving around the orange or grapefruit until all the peel and pith have been removed.
• Once you’ve peeled the orange and grapefruit have been peeled, you can either segment them or slice them into rounds.

Make It a Meal

I have quite a few fennel recipes on the site, and in almost every circumstance, fennel benefits from a pop of citrus, which means it goes well with almost any main dish.

• Use the salad as a bed for a protein source. Top it with tuna, fish kabobs or my harissa lamb chops, which are also marinated in orange juice! You could even use leftover, roasted chicken.
• And because it is a light and bright dish, this orange salad can be the perfect way to start a hearty meal like Moroccan lamb stew, or served before harira soup for a soup-n-salad dinner, or cioppino if you’re feeling more like seafood.
• When citrus season is in full swing, go all-in with citrus salmon or this citrus rosemary chicken.

Make-Ahead Tips

If you want to do some prep in advance, slice all the ingredients a day ahead. When you’re ready to serve the salad, all that is left to do is quickly assemble and dress it.

• Store the citrus in one airtight container, and the shallot and fennel in another. Keep refrigerated.
• You can also make the dressing a day ahead and refrigerate it in a tightly covered mason jar.

Leftovers and Storage

This citrus salad is best eaten and finished immediately. But if you foresee leftovers, don’t dress the salad all at once, and instead dress individual servings.

Store leftover salad in an airtight container for 2 days. The remaining dressing should be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Fennel Recipes to Try Next!

Sides and Small Plates

Roasted Fennel

Salads

Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Toasted Walnuts

Soups and Stews

Fennel Soup

Fish and Seafood

Sardine Pasta with Fennel and Saffron (Pasta con le Sarde)