Blood Orange Fennel Salad

This gorgeous salad features winter citrus alongside fennel and quick pickled onion, finished with mint, walnuts, and parmesan cheese. It's a wonderful combination of sweet, tart, salty, and nutty. You'll love making this vegetarian recipe on repeat!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings 1.5-cup servings

Calories 175kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion from ¼ small red onion
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small bulb fennel cored and thinly sliced, about 1.5 cups
3 blood oranges peel sliced off and cut into thin rounds, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons roughly chopped raw walnuts
1 ounce parmesan cheese shaved

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Thinly slice the red onion using a sharp knife or mandoline. In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the red onion. Let it pickle while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Before slicing the fennel, remove the core with a knife. Then, slice it into thin shavings using a sharp knife or mandoline.
Prepare the blood oranges by trimming the top and bottom. I recommend using a cutting board with a juice groove to collect the orange juice. Use a paring knife to slice off the peel and pith (white spongy part). Slice the peeled oranges into thin rounds.
At this point, add the fennel to the bowl with the red onion and toss together.
If your cutting board caught some juice from preparing the oranges, pour it into a small bowl or jar. Squeeze any pieces of peel you cut off that have some flesh on them into the bowl or jar. You should have a tablespoon or two of juice. Add the olive oil and whisk well.
Assemble the salad. Start with a layer of fennel and red onion. Arrange the orange slices on top, and scatter the rest of the fennel and red onion on them. Sprinkle with mint leaves and walnuts. Use a vegetable peeler or knife to shave the parmesan into thin pieces. Sprinkle on top. Finally, drizzle with the juice/olive oil mixture. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
Transfer to plates and enjoy!
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Notes

This is best enjoyed right away, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Pluck out the mint leaves if they get soggy/brown and add fresh ones if desired before eating.
If you need the recipe to be strictly vegetarian, look for a parmesan cheese labeled as such and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Nutrition