Fennel and Orange Salad
A crisp Sicilian-inspired winter salad with shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, olives, pink peppercorns and wild fennel.
This no-cook southern Italian salad balances the clean crunch of paper-thin fennel with sweet citrus, savory olives, floral pink peppercorns and fragrant wild fennel.
Instructions
- 1
Wash and dry the oranges. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of each so it stands securely on the cutting board. With a sharp smooth-bladed knife, cut away the peel from top to bottom, following the curve and removing all the white pith.
- 2
Hold each peeled orange over a bowl and cut between the membranes to release clean segments. Collect the segments and all their juice, then set aside.
- 3
Wash the fennel bulbs, remove and reserve the fronds, then shave the bulbs uniformly 2–3 mm thick with a mandoline.
- 4
Put the sliced fennel in a large bowl. Add the collected orange juice, one drizzle olive oil, most of the pink peppercorns and the olives. Toss thoroughly and season with 1 pinch salt.
- 5
Spread the dressed fennel on a wide serving platter and distribute the orange segments evenly throughout.
- 6
Finish with the second drizzle of olive oil, the remaining pink peppercorns, the remaining pinch of salt if needed and the wild fennel or reserved fronds. Serve fresh.
Ago's Notes
- Remove every trace of bitter white pith when peeling the oranges, and collect the juice released while cutting the segments for the dressing.
- Slice the fennel uniformly 2–3 mm thick; a mandoline makes this easier. Reserve the fennel fronds to use if wild fennel is unavailable.
- Sicilian olives are traditional; Taggiasca olives are the suggested alternative.
- For extra crunch, add 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, almonds, cashews or seeds. A diced green apple is another optional variation; the Calabrian version adds a very thinly sliced Tropea onion.
- The salad keeps well until the next day in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- The source reports 125 kcal per 100 g.
Serve immediately for the crispest fennel, or chill briefly so the citrus juice and olive oil can lightly dress the slices.
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