We eat a lot of salads in our house. It’s just so easy to start with leafy greens and go from there. I love those salads, but sometimes, I want something different. I want to excited my tastebuds a bit. Fennel alone will do that. If you’ve never tried fennel, it has a crunchy texture and a slightly sweet licorice flavor. I love it roasted and raw. It pairs perfectly with orange, so when I saw the blood oranges in the store (grab them now while they’re in season), this salad blueprint was made! Blood oranges have the most beautiful color. They are sweet and really juicy.
This colorful salad is light and so flavorful. Think about serving it alongside a simple grilled piece of salmon or chicken for a complete meal.
Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
1 medium to large bulb of fennel
2 blood oranges
1/4 small head of red cabbage
1/4 small red onion
honeyed almonds (recipe below)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons blood orange juice (or the juice from half an orange)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Trim the stalks, fronds and root end of the fennel bulb and keep them aside. Cut the bulb in half and slice finely. Set aside
Peel one blood orange and slice into medallions. Cut the second orange in half. Peel one half and slice the same way. Keep the other half aside for the dressing.
Slice both the cabbage and the red onion finely and set aside.
Mix up the dressing in a small bowl or glass.
Arrange the cut vegetables on 4 small dishes. Use some of the fronds from the fennel and scatter them over the salads. Top each salad with the dressing and finish with the honeyed almonds.
Serves 4 small or 2 large salads
Honeyed Almonds
1 teaspooon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons honey (or pure maple syrup to keep this vegan)
In a heavy cast iron pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and the almonds. Keep the pan moving as the almonds begin to get toasted. As soon as you smell the nuttiness, add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Toss for one more second then add the honey. Stir until all of the almonds are coated. Continue for just a few more seconds, remove from the heat and allow the nuts to cool in the pan for just a few minutes.
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Notes:
- If you cannot find blood oranges, any orange would be delicious in this salad.
- Don’t fret too much over the measurements when making the honeyed almonds. I just grab that honey bottle and give it the smallest squeeze. You don’t need the almonds to be completely soaked in honey. Just a light coating makes them wonderful.
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what an absolutely gorgeous salad!
Thank you so much Heather!
Wow, this is SUCH a gorgeous salad. Sound pretty delicious too.
Thanks so much Joyti!
This has got to be the prettiest salad ever! pinned!
Thank you so much Paula!
Such a beautiful fresh salad! Love the sweet touch of honeyed almonds and could even eat those for dessert. J+C
Thank you so much, J+C! I won’t tell you how many of those almonds I snacked on while shooting that photo! ;)
This salad looks and sounds amazing! I can’t get enough of the licorice flavor of fennel! I really like the idea of the honeyed almonds-nice touch!
Thank you so much Tiffany! I love that flavor of the licorice too!
These might be your most sensational pics yet (which is saying a lot, for sure!) – the vibrant colors are magical and those wispy fennel fronds are the perfect crowning textural contrast. Beyond lovely! Fennel is such an under-used superstar – this is a great application! What a bright and refreshing way to perk up a cold evening! Rocked it again, my friend! :D
Shelley, you are so wonderful for my self esteem! Thanks so much for brightening my day! I agree about fennel…it’s a really unique ingredient! <3
I love a nice crunchy salad, especially one with such vibrant colors and flavors!
Thank you Sylvie! I love that crunch too!
What a gorgeous salad! blood oranges and fennel is such a good combination.
Thanks so much Cheri! I love them together too!
Something different sounds good.
wow this looks and sounds amazing.
Wow, wow, wow! This salad looks amazing! And, I love fennel! Winner!
This is the prettiest salad I’ve ever seen!
Awww…Thank you Jen! :)