Traditional Italian Fennel Orange Salad

For years I’ve wanted to make a fennel and orange salad, and I finally got around to doing it this summer. This Italian salad is very traditional and frequently found in Sicily. This particular version is kept very simple and uses only fresh ingredients.

It is refreshing and light, making it perfect for hot summer days. I think the salad tastes even better the next day when the juices have really had time to soak into the fennel slices!

Recipe Summary

This orange and fennel salad recipe is straight from Italy. It uses, you guessed it, fennel and orange! But there are a few minor other ingredients that really bring the dish to life.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients

For this recipe you just need a few simple ingredients.

• Fennel bulb
• Fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon or squeezed lemon juice) Fresh lemon is best.
• Ripe oranges
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

A Quick Word about Fennel

There are two types of fennel. The kind that has the big fat bulb and long beautiful green tops, and the kind that doesn’t. The type of fennel we are using is what you’ll find in the grocery stores as shown below.

Step by Step Instructions

For exact measurements check out the recipe card towards the end of this post. However keep in mind this salad is super flexible and forgiving. For example, if you want more oranges then add more! I provide some variations later in the post.

Here are the steps I use when making this quick and easy Italian salad!

Step 1. Wash the fennel bulb and remove any parts that show browning. I use my knife to shave any areas I want to remove.

Step 2. Slice the fennel into by following this process: I also show how to do this in the video in this post.

• Start by first cutting off the green tops and discard them. You could use the feathery parts for a garnish – but I’ve personally never eaten them.
• Next, slice the whole bulb in half length wise so there are two parts.
• Cut out the hard root in the bottom middle.
• Finally, position each half face down and cut the bulb into very thin slices.

Step 3. Place the slices in a small serving bowl.

Step 4. Peel and cut out the orange wedges, making sure to avoid any of the white pith. The white pith is bitter and we want to avoid that.

Pro Tip: Use your knife to gently slice along each membrane surrounding each wedge. You’ll find by doing this the wedge will slide out. Again – you can get a detailed demonstration in my video.

Step 5. Add the orange wedges to your bowl. Take the membranes and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the salad, then discard.

Step 6. Take your 1/2 lemon and squeeze out as much lemon juice as you can into the salad. Make sure no lemon seeds accidentally fall into the dish!

Step 7. Add a dash of salt and black pepper. This is optional.

Step 8. Add a drizzle of the olive oil.

Step 9. Serve and enjoy! See more serving tips and advice below!

Recipe Variations

This is about as hard-core authentic recipe as you can get! But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a few changes of your own. Here are some suggestions.

1. Use mandarine oranges instead. These are generally cheaper at the store and you can also get them in cans.
2. Add some lemon white balsamic vinegar. I get mine at a local olive oil store and it’s delicious!
3. Add some fresh cauliflower or almonds for even more crunch!

Recipe Card for Fennel Orange Salad

Traditional Fennel Orange Salad

Enjoy freshly sliced fennel along with fresh orange for an authentic Italian salad. Perfect for a healthy snack or side dish.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Liz

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Fennel bulb
• ▢ 1/2 Fresh lemon juice approx. 1 Tablespoon
• ▢ 2 Ripe oranges
• ▢ 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 dash Salt and Pepper

Instructions

• Wash the fennel bulb and remove any parts that show browning. I use my knife to shave any areas I want to remove.
  1 Fennel bulb
• Slice the fennel into by following this process: I also show how to do this in the video in this post.
• Start by first cutting off the green tops and discard them. You could use the feathery parts for a garnish – but I’ve personally never eaten them.
• Next, slice the whole bulb in half length wise so there are two parts.
• Cut out the hard root in the bottom middle.
• Finally, position each half face down and cut the bulb into very thin slices.
• Place the slices in a small serving bowl.
• Peel and cut out the orange wedges, making sure to avoid any of the white pith. The white pith is bitter and we want to avoid that.

  Use your knife to gently slice along each membrane surrounding each wedge. You'll find by doing this the wedge will slide out. Again – you can get a detailed demonstration in my video.
  2 Ripe oranges
• Add the orange wedges to your bowl. Take the membranes and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the salad, then discard.
• Take your 1/2 lemon and squeeze out as much lemon juice as you can into the salad. Make sure no lemon seeds accidentally fall into the dish!
  1/2 Fresh lemon juice
• Add a drizzle of the olive oil.
  1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• Add a dash of salt and black pepper. This is optional.
  1 dash Salt and Pepper
• Serve and enjoy! See more serving tips and advice below!

Video

Notes

Nutritional data are estimates provided by API calculations. 

This recipe is very flexible, so use what you have and adjust as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg