Sicilian Fennel and Orange salad

Fennel and orange salad

This is one of the most refreshing salads I have ever had. Yet simple and delicious. 

With only three ingredients: fennel, orange and red onion you will triumph with this side dish. I think poultry like chicken, poussin, or rabbit is the perfect companion.

Fennel

Orange

Red onion

What do you need

✅ A salad bowl

✅ A mandoline (which is perfect to cut very thin layers of fennel, but you can use a chef knife if you don't have one)

✅ A lemon squeezer if you have it  (not necessary)

Ingredients

✔ 1 fennel

✔ 3 medium oranges

✔ 1 red medium onion

✔ 1 tsp mustard

✔ 2 tbsp olive oil

✔ a pinch of salt

✔ a pinch of ground pepper

✔ 2 tbsp wine vinegar

Method

1. Cut the red onion into thin slices. Add the 2 tbsp of vinegar into a small bowl and a bit of water and introduce the onion slices and set aside.

   

   Pickleling the red oinion

   
   
2. Trim the greeny leaves ends of your fennel and reserve some for the final decoration. Remove the fennel bottom too. Use your mandoline to cut very thin slices of the fennel and add them to the bowl. 

   

   Mandoline

3. Thin like this picture.

   

   Slicing Fennel

   
   
   
   
4. Now we have to peel off the skin of the oranges and try to carefully remove all the white bits as they are too sour. Once you have finished, keep some skin as we will use it for the dressing. 

   

   Peeled orange

   
   
5. Cut each segment individually with a knife. To do this insert your knife between the flesh and the membrane on both sides to release each section, as you can see bellow. Add them to the bowl with the fennel.

   

   Cutting the orange segments

   
   
   
   
6. Salad dressing: In another bowl, we will do the vinaigrette. Squeeze with clean hands the remaining orange as much as you can into a bowl, add the olive oil, the mustard, salt and pepper, and some of the liquid from the pickled red onions. Mix very well with a fork or a small whisk if you have one. You will see a beautiful orange color at the end.

   

   Orange dressing

   
   
7. Dress your salad with the vinaigrette, you should use half of the amount and taste it, then add more if you wish.

   

   Mixing all the ingredients

8. To finish and decorate the salad I used a little number of fennel leaves to give a fresh green touch.

   

   Fennel and orange salad