Citrus Fennel Salad

This is such a lovely salad – especially for winter. The tart and sweet citrus fruits combined with the earthy bite of arugula and sweet crunch of fennel make this salad a fresh and pleasing marriage of flavors. My husband does not like arugula, claims to hate fennel, and is not very fond of grapefruit and even he loved the salad! Fennel is often described as having an anise-like flavor which can discourage anyone who doesn’t like licorice to give it a try. I dislike licorice, however, I absolutely love the unique, mild taste of fennel and I hope that you will give it a chance as well!

This citrus fennel salad is bright, delicious, and adaptable. I used navel oranges, a blood orange, and mandarins because that was what was available at my market. I also substituted rice vinegar for the champagne vinegar. The fennel and sweet onion mingled and mellowed in the citrus juice, honey, and olive oil, while the dill and mint brought bright and herbaceous notes. Together the textures made for a very nice salad. 

One of our tasters dislikes arugula so I prepared this two ways – half with arugula and half without – both were delicious but we thought the version without arugula was lighter and brighter. The membranes on my citrus were a bit tough so I ended up segmenting the fruit.  It worked out fine – the citrus looked like pretty jewels against the green and white veggies. The dressing made more than necessary so we saved the extra and drizzled it over grilled chicken the next day at lunch. 

This is a nice “change-up” for a salad. The fennel and sweet onion aren’t over-powering. If I changed anything I might add a bit more mint but that’s just me being picky. This is a delicious and unusual (in a good way) salad that I’ll be making again!

The flavor of this citrus fennel salad is really nice and I like the fact that I can taste everything. It’s a very fresh flavor and the flavors are strong in a good way. I especially like the citrus and how the mint brings everything together.

I did not add dill as I really don’t like it. It would have definitely changed the flavor profile, and not for the best (my opinion). I also love the crunch of the fennel and I wished the bulb I chose had a stronger licorice flavor. The bulb I chose was mild. If I make this again, I would eliminate the raw onion and leave the dill out. The citrus dressing is superb and I would make it for other salads. Simple and really tasty. I’d add a mixture of the citrus fruits.

A classic flavor combination, which I’d make again and again, in all of its various guises, with or without olives, varied types of citrus and herbs. This citrus fennel salad is so tangy and refreshing, and just what is needed to brighten a winter evening when there is abundant citrus to choose from, and to lighten a meal when so many dishes are braised and weighty. We served the salad alongside a cheesy baked pasta.

This is a beautiful, bright citrusy salad with a mix of great textures that has a lovely lightness to it. I would use less dill but loved the mint and fennel with the citrus. It benefits from sitting so the fennel can soften in the vinaigrette. I served this alongside mahi-mahi, which was a great combo.

This is a very simple salad to put together but it does take a lot of time to prep. It’s very pretty and flavorful though, so it’s worth it. I was just a bit surprised that this took me almost an hour to assemble.

This citrus fennel salad is so easy on the eyes! I used a blood orange for a little dark pop. The whole thing is lovely and so tasty as a winter side.