15 Minute Shaved Fennel Citrus Salad
Salad doesn’t have to be a summer affair. This shaved fennel citrus salad with arugula and sweet onion is made for the cooler months, when crisp fennel and bright, juicy fruit bring fresh flavor to the table. With peppery greens, a simple olive oil dressing and just 15 minutes of prep, it’s an easy way to add something fresh to an autumn or winter meal.
The key to this salad is fennel, a crisp, aromatic vegetable that deserves more attention in the kitchen. If you’ve never cooked with it, here’s what makes it worth trying.
What is fennel?
Fennel is a vegetable popular in Mediterranean cuisines but less well known elsewhere. That’s a pity because it has a satisfyingly crunchy texture and a light, anise-like flavor. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, iron and potassium. Best of all, fennel has a long history as an aphrodisiac.
The ancient Greeks called this vegetable marathon and thought that it conveyed strength and longevity. According to The Aphrodisiac Encyclopaedia, devotees of Dionysus, the Greek good of festivity and fertility, wore crowns of fennel leaves and chewed fennel seeds to “bring on the sacred desire.”
RELATED: Fennel Benefits & Aphrodisiac Use
Fennel is typically in season from mid-autumn through spring, although timing varies by region. The variety most commonly sold at farmers’ markets and grocery stores is Florence fennel. It has feathery fronds and celery-like stalks, although you may also find it trimmed down to just the bulb.
Although fennel is easy to cook with, its thick bulb can be tricky to cut thinly. For this salad, you’ll use the bulb and slice it as uniformly as possible. I recommend a mandoline slicer, which is also handy for cutting the onion.
Before slicing, clean and trim the fennel:
- Rinse the fennel bulb under cool running water and pat it dry.
- Trim the root end and cut off the stalks, leaving the bulb.
- Remove any rough, brown or damaged outer layers.
- Cut the bulb in half lengthwise. Slice each half thinly with a mandoline or a sharp knife. You can also use a food processor.
Slice the fennel as thinly and evenly as possible. Thin slices are easier to eat raw and let the fennel’s delicate anise flavor complement the citrus instead of overpowering it.
Why I love serving this shaved fennel recipe with a variety of citrus
There are many citrus fruits available from fall through early spring to bring vibrant color and acidity to a salad. Although I use tangerine in this recipe, you can use whatever type of fresh orange, tangerine or satsuma is available to you. Most citrus fruits are at their ripest and sweetest in late winter, so you probably have the most variety just when all the fall fruits have disappeared. This fresh fennel salad recipe welcomes experimentation.
Some of my favorite citrus to use in this winter fennel salad include:
- Blood oranges – for brilliant color
- Navel oranges – for their sweetness
- Ojai Pixie tangerines – my favorite spring citrus
- Clementines – if you don’t like sour
Recipe variations
This fennel citrus salad recipe is somewhat free-form. As I mentioned above, you can choose whatever citrus looks best at the store. But you can also play around with the flavor of the dressing and add a few extras to make it a meal.
Give it a “fancy” dressing
For me, the right dressing for this citrus salad is just a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. I like the simplicity of this dressing and how it showcases the other ingredients and their notes of sweetness and tart, pepper and anise as they dance across the tongue. But you might prefer a dressing that brings more of a traditional salad flavor. You can make a balsamic vinaigrette for it or simply whisk some olive oil into freshly squeezed tangerine or lemon juice for something simple but tangy.
Additions and substitutions
- Avocado – If you like a little extra texture you can thinly slice one avocado and top each salad with several slices. This will add a creamy note and since avocado is also considered an aphrodisiac, it might also increase the recipe’s romantic potential.
- Spinach – If you can’t find arugula or just want to change the lettuce, you can use baby spinach or try a combination of spinach and arugula.
- Red onion – If you want to add a little extra color, you can use red onion instead of sweet onion. Just keep in mind that red onion generally has a stronger aroma and flavor.
- Fennel fronds – Fennel is often sold trimmed down to just the bulb. But if you happen to buy whole fennel, you can trim off the feathery ends, called fronds, roughly chop them and toss them with the rest of the ingredients. They’re pretty, light and add extra fennel flavor. The stems can be used to season soup stocks.
- Poached chicken or shrimp – Although this salad makes a lovely side dish or a vibrant vegan salad option, I’ve played around with adding light proteins like chicken or shrimp. My favorite way to serve it, other than as a simple vegetarian salad, is to add poached or seared shrimp along with some salmon roe.
Notes on advanced prep
For easier prep, wash the arugula about an hour before assembling the salad and let it dry thoroughly. You can also slice the fennel in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Prepare the citrus just before serving for the freshest flavor and best quality.
Citrus and Fennel Salad with Arugula and Sweet Onion
Equipment
- Mandolin slicer or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 small fennel bulb cleaned trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 medium sweet onion substitute with a small red onion
- 2 tangerines or 1 orange
- 2 c baby arugula washed and dried
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tsp good quality extra virgin olive oil use more to taste or substitute with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Slice the fennel and onion as thinly as possible, preferably using a mandolin or food processor. (I prefer the vegetables cut with a mandolin for uniformity.)
- Cut off the very top and bottom of each tangerine. Then peel the fruit with your knife. Next—and this is the tricky part—carefully slice the fruit between the membrane and the flesh. Repeat with all of the segments of both tangerines.
- Toss the fennel, onion, tangerine and arugula in a medium mixing bowl. And top with salt, pepper and your favorite dressing to taste. (A splash of premium olive oil recommended.)
Notes
A note on the provided nutrition information
The nutrition information provided has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.Nutrition
More of my favorite fall and winter side dishes
Massaged Kale Salad with Cranberries & Persimmons
Pearl Barley Risotto with Apples and Parmesan
Meyer Lemon Quinoa with Turmeric and Black Pepper
Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.
Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.
Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.
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