Fennel and Orange Salad

You like fennel, you just don’t know it yet. When I was in culinary school, we made a version of this fennel salad during a knife skills session. I dreaded tasting it. All I knew about fennel was that it had an anise flavor that I regularly avoided. That day in culinary school proved me wrong about fennel. Prepared the right way, fennel is fantastic.

If you are looking for a fresh take on a winter salad, this salad is for you. It’s a welcome departure from your basic green salad with tomato and cucumber. It’s light, crunchy, and fresh. I can’t get enough of the beautiful oranges I’m finding around town and they are awesome in this salad. In addition to the vibrant pop of citrus, the fennel and pistachios add the most satisfying crunch. The dressing is simple but totally works. Soften the shallots in lemon, whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Fennel needs a publicist or should be sold with instructions. Admittedly, fennel is odd looking and most people don’t know what to do with it. From the outside, it’s got stalks with leafy fronds shooting out of a large bulb. On the inside, it’s built like an onion with multiple layers held together by a core. For this salad, remove the stalks, cut the bulb in half, and remove the core. Slice the fennel into thin slices.

I eat this salad a few times a week for lunch. It’s so flavorful and the combination of citrus, fennel, and pistachios is so good! If serving for dinner, I would pair this with a simply grilled or pan fried fish or Roast Chicken.

Enjoy!

Remove the stalks. Save those pretty fennel fronds for plating.

Slice bulb in half.

Remove core.

Have at it! Slice away.

Those colors, though! Looks pretty even before the toss.