Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
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When it’s dark and stormy outside, this simple blood orange and fennel salad is an easy way to brighten the day.
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Fresh Fennel & Blood Orange Salad
I am so excited to be sharing another winter-inspired recipe with everyone today! Despite the inner voice begging for spring recipes and flavors, I can’t not share this uncomplicated, yet extremely exquisite fennel and blood orange salad.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been weighed down by heavy, starchy dinners that while are delicious, they’re just becoming too much. After going off the rails a few days ago, I made Monday’s recipe for dinner and decided the following night that the trend of lightness needed to continue. I tend to find after I’ve been binging on all things comfort food, I have a couple of weeks where I near nothing but salads (been loving this autumn harvest salad) or tostadas (I will be sharing my favorite tostada recipe very soon). While pretty straightforward, this salad makes a refreshingly light main course salad or as a side dish to salmon or another mild fish. Since I have been in a no-cook phase, I am a-okay with eating this salad for dinner and the best part is, it leaves me satisfied and feeling not so guilty about the ice cream or blood orange whiskey sour that happens later in the night.
While I have chosen to make a simple salad out of lettuce, this fennel and blood orange salad is pretty interchangeable; simply use whatever leafy greens you have in your vegetable drawer. The attention and all of the flavor is on the sliced fennel and zesty blood orange slices.
Fennel is obviously not something everyone is into, especially if they’re totally against black licorice, BUT I have found that by pairing fennel with something with a fair amount of acid, suddenly the complaining all goes away. Case in point: Leftover Chicken with Fennel and Quinoa Salad which everyone loves.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that for this salad I’ve paired it with my favorite Central Coast Pinot Gris from Hahn Winery, which has become my go-to wine when I’m enjoying a dish with either fennel or blood oranges. It’s 15, and has this bright, refreshing finish that’s quintessential for spring entertaining, which is right around the corner.
BLOOD ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD
ingredients:
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced (do this right before you serve the salad)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups leafy greens
- 4 blood oranges, sliced crosswise and into thin slices
instructions:
How to cook BLOOD ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD
- Divide the leafy greens amongst four bowls. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper (to taste). Arrange the blood orange slices on top of the bed of greens, then quickly shave or thinly slice the fennel over the top of each salad. Drizzle with the dressing and more pepper, to taste.
How to you take a break from heavy winter recipe overdose?
Serve this caramel apple with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for an untraditional Thanksgiving dessert that will surely knock the socks off of everyone.