Fennel Salad with Orange and Black Olives
Mediterranean freshness, anise-flavored crunch, and citrus sweetness.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 0 minutes
When fennel meets orange, it's a bit like Provence winking at Sicily. This simple salad is the perfect starter to impress without effort: fresh flavors, a play of textures, and that little touch of basil oil that makes all the difference.
Ingredients
Recipe steps
Prepare the oranges
Zest one orange using a fine grater or microplane. Squeeze the same orange to get 2 tablespoons of fresh juice. Peel the second orange, removing all the white pith, and separate the segments by cutting away the membranes.
Slice the fennel
Remove the tough core from the fennel bulbs. Using a mandoline, slice them thinly lengthwise to get beautiful translucent and crunchy strips.
Prepare the onion
Thinly slice the red onion and soak it for a few minutes in ice water. This mellows its sharpness and makes it easier to digest. Drain well before using.
Make the vinaigrette
In a large salad bowl, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Whisk lightly to emulsify.
Toss the salad
Add the sliced fennel, orange segments, drained onion, black olives, and chopped parsley. Gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly.
Plate and serve
Divide the salad among 4 plates. Finish with a drizzle of basil olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips and variations
- No basil oil? Make your own by blending olive oil with a handful of fresh basil, then strain. Otherwise, a simple drizzle of olive oil with some chopped basil leaves will do the trick.
- For a more indulgent version, add some shaved parmesan or creamy burrata.
- You can swap the Niçoise black olives for green olives or Kalamata olives according to your taste.
Anti-waste tips
Don’t throw away the fennel fronds!
These feathery little leaves are delicious:
- Chopped over the salad when serving for an anise touch
- Added to a broth or fish soup
- Blended into an original pesto with walnuts and parmesan
Save your unused orange zest!
- Dry it to flavor your teas or herbal infusions
- Freeze it for future baking projects
- Blend it with sugar to make orange-scented sugar
